Pilkington of Uganda

C.EHARFORD-
BATTERSBY

J-<Zi^. 'otl

'^

■f!gi^'^

^XW^tmtolaskat^^

fitti

PRINCETON, N. J.

%

3;

Purchased by the Hamill Missionary Fund.

^;,.^2„/U<7 -2^-ey\y^ ,fT-*^^C£^i>*-'^

^

Pilkington of Uganda

Charles F. Harford-Battersby,M.A.,M.D.

Principal of Livingstone College

With Introductory Chapters

A. T. PIERSON, D.D., and J. H. SHRINE, M.A.

With Illustrations and Maps

New York Chicago Toronto

Fleming H. Revell Company

Publishers of Evangelical Literature

Copyright, iSgg

BY

Fleming H. Revell Company

INTRODUCTION TO THE AMERICAN
EDITION.

This brief record of the short life of George
Lawrence Pilkington, who recently fell in Uganda,
and whose name, like that of Mackay, is so closely
linked with Gospel triumphs in that land, is full of
suggestion and instruction.

This volume has great value as the story of Pilk-
ington's own life, that extended over only thirty-two
and a half years, from June 4, 1865, to December 11,
1897, when he was shot down in the effort to quell
the "second mutiny." His seven years in the field
had shown him to be one of the most efficient
workers ever in Africa, especially gifted as a trans-
lator of the Word of God.

This record forms a fitting sequel to the biography
of Alexander Mackay. That traces the story of the
earlier days of the Uganda mission up to the appoint-
ment of Pilkington, so that the two together give a
connected account of the most remarkable mission-
ary triumphs known in Africa within a half century.
Indeed, it may be questioned whether, with the
exception of Johnson's work at Sierra Leone, the
revival at the Hawaiian Islands, and the great work
among the Telugus, anything else, equal to the
victories of the Gospel in Uganda since the martyr-
dom of Hannington in 1885, has been known during
this whole century. These fourteen years have
witnessed a transformation equal, perhaps, to any-
thing recorded even in apostolic days.

11 INTRODUCTION TO THE AMERICAN EDITION.

This book, however, possesses another attraction,
in the wise and spiritual sayings scattered through
its pages, which will of themselves repay careful
reading and amply justify its publication.

The main interest of this biography lies, perhaps, in
its demonstration and illustration of the need of even
missionaries themselves of an enduement of power
from on high. This is the story of a Modern Pente-
cost, preceded by its days of prayerful waiting,
attended by unmistakable signs from Heaven, and
followed by abundant harvests of souls. Nothing
more practical has been put before the body of be-
lievers and workers for God than this fact, that all
disciples may know and make real their share in the Pen-
tecostal gift, and that men and women are in our day
coming into an entirely new experience by the endowment
and enduement of the Holy Spirit.

Pilkington presents an instance in point; he came
to feel his own need of the Spirit so deeply that he
could not continue at his work without some new
experience of a baptism of power.

About this time a great desire arose for mission
services, and, in the absence of special missionaries
from abroad, it became plain that God wanted to use
the missionaries themselves, and all in prayer newly
dedicated themselves to Him and asked Him to baptize
them anew. This was December 8, 1893. They had
not told the people, but went up after prayer, at the
usual time, believing for a blessing. Mr. Pilkington
conducted the meeting, and spoke earnestly of the need
of a new power from God coming down on the
native Church, and even on the missionaries. A cer-
tain native convert had returned to the state of a heathen,

INTRODUCTION TO THE AMERICAN EDITION, 111

and the reason he gave was startling. He said: "' I
get no profit from your religion. Do you think i
have been reading seven years and do not under-
stand? Your religion does not profit me at all; I
have done with it." Pilkington, dwelling on this
case, pointed out what a cause of shame and reproacli
it was to the missionaries.

The sense of need of fuller life and Spirit-
power took strong hold on the preachers and
teachers, and, first of all, humbled them before God.
Then blessing came upon the whole native church.
Five hundred at a time attended the daily morning
services, and they found themselves in the midst of a
great spiritual revival, and their joy was beyond ex-
pression. The after meetings saw hundreds waiting
for individual dealing, and among other fruits of this
work was that same man who had asked to be an-
nounced as having gone back to heathenisin! Great
chiefs boldly confessed their wish to accept Christ,
and the spirit of evangelistic work so prevailed that
the functions of government were in danger of being
neglected by the eagerness of the officers of state to
go about announcing glad tidings ! The work was
so searching, and such a spirit of confession and
humiliation prevailed in the native church, and such
secret sins came to light in this great upturning and
uncovering of hidden things, that the missionaries
felt called on to restrain public confessions, lest these
should bring too great reproach on the name of Christ,
and the awakened backsliders were counseled to seek
the brethren for private confession and prayer.

Mr. Pilkington in 1895 went to England on fur-
lough, and electrified audiences by his account of the

IV INTRODUCTION TO THE AMERICAN EDITION.

dealings of God with the Uganda mission. Nothing
was more noticeable than the emphasis he laid on this
fact, that the Jlrs^ step in this vivification of the church
in Uganda was that the missionaries and teachers them-
selves were led to just views of their own deep need; they
saw the absolute necessity for personal consecration
and the experience of a direct and supreme work of
the Holy Spirit in themselves.

This tale of Christian labor furnishes another
mighty argument for seeking with a desperate sense
of helplessness, and with a confident faith in God's
promise. Holy Ghost power. Not to Mr. Pilkington
and his fellow-workers was this indispensable only,
but the whole native church of Uganda owes the
almost unparalleled movement of the last decade of
years to the new enduement which proved such a
divine equipment for the work of soul-saving.

It was this outpouring of Holy Spirit power where-
by the native evangelists do such grand work —
another proof that Africa is to be ultimately evan-
gelized by Africans, and that the office of missionaries
from America and Europe is to raise up a native
church with trained native teachers. In Uganda,
as in many other parts of the heathen world, the
people can follow but can not lead, and some one
from outside must therefore lead and organize.

Pilkington pleaded earnestly for a sufficient force
to take possession of this great opportunity in Ugan-
da— for a hundred additional missionaries, men and
women filled with the Holy Ghost, as organizers and
leaders for native workers, at least ten of whom could
master, and then translate into, the native tongues;
and, with rare insight into the true philosophy of

INTRODUCTION TO THE AMERICAN EDITION. V

missions, he urged a fiew policy of occupation. He
contended that the only true method of distribu-
ting missionary workers is to send a large force
when and where a desire for itistruction and an
aggressive missionary spirit have been strongly developed
among the native converts, instead of sending the
bulk of the missionary force to places where
there is neither desire for teachers nor a missionary
spirit. And his argument was that the ultimate out-
come of the former method will be far the greater in
good, for after ten years little or no impression will
have been made on the indifferent and hostile com-
munity, and this begets depression among the work-
ers and in the church at home ; whereas, if the work
at the field where God's Spirit has been outpoured
were reinforced, it will so advance as to become a
source of wide influence, a strongnative church being
developed, with a large force of native evangelists;
and thus the fire God has kindled will be carried to the
other field and transferred to this other center. The
result will be encouragement both among the mission-
ary band and the supporters at home.

So strongly did this plea move others that, for ex-
ample, the missionaries of the Church Missionary
Society in India asked the Society, when it could be
done, to send candidates, offering to go to India, to
Uganda, for the time being, instead, that the Society
mi^'-ht avail itself of the exceptional opening in that
field, the growing conviction being that God's singular
blessing in any particular field is a signal for a special
reinforcement at that time and place.

How immeasurably important that every disciple
should know his own need, should feel the impossi-

VI INTRODUCTION TO THE AMERICAN EDITION.

bility of any compensation for such a lack, should
understand how ready God is to give the Spirit, and
should pray in faith for the blessing!

There is one ditch into which many fall so that
they never get to the firm resting-place of actual
reception of this crowning gift of God: they say the
Spirit of God was on the day of Pentecost given
fully, finally, and to all believers, and hence is not to
be sought as an unbestowed boon. In one sense this
is true, but in another it is a snare. There was on
the day of Pentecost an outpouring of the Spirit on
all believers. The new dispensation of the Holy
Spirit was then inaugurated, and we are not there-
fore to look for any such subsequent bestowment.
But, individually, we find disciples filled with the
Spirit subsequently, and we find a distinct command,
" Be filled with the Spirit." There must therefore
be some true sense in which we are to claim, receive
and avail ourselves of this last and greatest gift of
God. Christ was once offered for all, a sacrifice
for sin, but every new believer takes Christ as a Sav-
iour, and so makes practically available the work
of Christ for sinners; and so the Holy Spirit was
once for all given, but every believing child of God
must accept and receive the fullness of this gift by
a separate, individual act of faith, and thus practi-
cally it is to him as though the Spirit had been
specially given to him.

We can safely and cordially commend this book
not only to all who love Missions and watch the signs
of the times and the wonder-working of God, but also
to all who wish to understand thedeeper secrets of holy
living and holy j-civing. Arthur T. Pierson.

CONTENTS.

Preface ....... xi

iNrKODUCTORY CHAPTER • . . • xi

CHAPTER 1.
Home - ..... i

CHAPTER II.

I PPINGHAM ...... 8

CHAPTER III.
Cambridge Days - - - - - 20

CHAPTER IV.
The Missionary Call - - - - -41

CHAPTER V.
A Visit to Kilimanjaro - • - -65

CHAPTER VI.
The Long March - - - . .Co

CHAPTER VII.
Uganda at last - - - - - 113

CHAPTER VIII.
A Lull in the Storm - • - - 127

viii CONTENTS.

CHAPTER IX.
Civil, War ...... i6o

CHAPTER X.
Language Study - - • - - 185

CHAPTER XI.
The First Mutiny - . . , . 209

CHAPTER XII.
A Revival - - - - - - 221

CHAPTER XIII.
On Furlough ...... 240

CHAPTER XIV.
Bible Translation ..... 264

CHAPTER XV.
The Church in Uganda : A Retrospect • . 273

CHAPTER XVI.
The Future of Uganda : A Forecast • - 287

CHAPTER XVII
By Bicycle to Uganda - - • -302

CHAPTER XVIII.
The Second Mutiny .... - 319

CHAPTER XIX.
A Last Word - - - - • - 339

Index ... - - End of Volume.

PREFACE.

This book is an attempt to record the life story of
one who, whether as a boy at school, as a Master,
or as a Missionary, " tried to do his duty."
Wherever possible he speaks for himself, and it will
be understood that the majority of the letters are
private, and were never intended for publication.
The usual allowances must therefore be made for
some freedom of style, and for a certain abruptness
in passing from one subject to another, which may
be noticed in some letters. It is hoped that this
memoir may form a fitting sequel to the biography
of Mackay of Uganda, which tells the story of
Uganda work during the earlier days of the Mission,
up to the time when Pilkington was appointed to
Uganda. "With this in view, a title has been
adopted which may serve to connect the two
volumes. There is no attempt here to give a history
of the Mission, except in so far as it refers to the life
and work of Pilkington of Uganda.

The author begs to tender his hearty thanks to
the Rev. J. H. Skrine, friend and former master of
George Pilkington, for an Introductory Chapter,
and for many valuable suggestions ; to his parents

U PREFACE.

and other members of the family, who have
unreservedly placed at his disposal letters and other
materials, besides assisting in many ways ; to the
Church Missionary Society for free permission to
use any portion of their publications, and for
supplying the maps which are given in this volume,
and to which special attention is directed; to Messrs.
Lafayette, of Dublin, for permitting the reproduction
of the frontispiece ; and to Dr. Cook, for allowing
the use of the photograph taken by him in Uganda.

Also to a large number of friends, who have
supplied materials or otherwise rendered assistance.

That this book may lead to practical results in the
Evangelisation of Central Africa is the prayer of

The Author,

November, 1898.

PREFACE TO SECOND EDITION.

A Second Edition having been called for within
a month of publication, the Author has taken the
opportunity of correcting a few typographical errors
kindly pointed out by various friends, and he has
added an important letter from the Foreign Office
with reference to the Unyoro Campaign.

He also has great pleasure in adding an index to
this Edition for which he is indebted to Mr. Harold
Balme, who is at present a Medical Student at
King's College, and who is in training for Medical
Mission work.

December, i8g8.

INTRODUCTORY CHAPTER.

I AM asked to give my reminiscences of George
Pilkington as a boy at Uppingham and later.
My first sight of him was when he came from
Ireland to try for an Entrance Scholarship,
which he gained. His look is still distinct in my
memory. A solid little figure of a boy, with features
promising to be handsome when the nose should
rise ; a complexion with the bloom on it of a boy
from the soft West ; and fine eyes, large and deep.
But most I remember the steady, purposeful air
with a shade of attractive shyness in it. It was
the look of a boy who would have, perhaps, genius,
but certainly the power of doing something
distinctive in life. Most boys at that age (and it is
well for them) look as if they were only conscious
of being boys ; he looked also conscious of going
to be a man.

I do not think that I knew him, as a boy, * all
round.' As a pupil in class, I saw much of him,
and in another aspect which I am coming to. But
he was not in my own House, and I hardly have a
view of him in his ordinary life among other boys.

The gravity which one noted in him when * on
duty' did not, I believe, prevent him from being as
blithe as the rest of the world, and an eager talker ;

xii INTRODUCTORY CHAPTER.

also, I fancy, fond, as afterwards, of argument. On
the football field I remember him distinctly, where
his play was solid, business-like, of a good quality,
though without genius.

We formed good expectations of his scholarship,
which were not disappointed, but classical scholar-
ship, in the strict sense, was not a thing in which
the strongest side of his mind was represented. He
rather lacked pliancy and imagination in the
direction of language ; and his success in Latin and
Greek was somewhat of a ioiir de force. His friends
look back upon his classical studies as the
foundation of his linguistic success in Uganda; and
so, no doubt, in a sense they were. Yet it was not
because he was a 'scholar,' in the literary sense,
that he made so great an interpreter and translator :
the power of languages is not the same thing as
the power of language, and his splendid work on
the African tongue is owed, I expect, first to the
scientific element in him, and next, to that
characteristic of him noticed by those who knew
him best from childhood — a power of minding his
own business and doing it.

Only one incident of his school life, worth
chronicling, recurs to me. But it was nearly being
the last. Bathing in the pool under the Welland
' lasher,' at Thorpe, before he could swim, he stepped
out of his depth, went under, not once, but twice, with-
in a few yards of his unconscious comrades, and was
sighted and saved only as he sank a third time. He
told me there was no discomfort or anxiety in the
experience. Remember, superstitious mortals, that

INTRODUCTORY CHAPTER. xiii

one may be saved from drowning to die, not by the
basest, but the noblest, of all deaths.

But if I recall few incidents, there is a season of
his school life which, among my memories of him,
is to myself the most worth retaining, for it is the
most prophetic of the life which followed. It is the
season when he was preparing for confirmation. It
fell to me to be his instructor, and as he did not
join one of the confirmation classes (his confirmation
was at home and at another time than the
Uppingham Confirmation), but came to me alone,
my observation of him was the more intimate. It
is one best record :d, however, by briefly saying
that, in the young boy then at my side, with his
silent but felt intelligence and shy enthusiasm, I
see the man who lived and died for Christ in Africa.

And I ask myself, did he, in the later stress of
religious vehemence, tell himself that this young boy
was not yet converted, and did not yet know Christ
aright ?

When he left Uppingham, I saw him only once
more. He came back there in the summer of 1886.
He was much transformed. No wonder, for the
tide of that religious impulse which set in during
his Cambridge days was now running strong. I
felt something of shock at first. The enthusiasm,
of course, was boyish, crude as new wine always is,
and slightly, though only slightly, aggressive.
The strain of what I should have then called
Salvationism had, in a man reading for a classical
First, much of the unexpected and even odd : it

xiv INTRODUCTORY CHAPTER.

wanted taking in. Then an Uppinghamian of
those days could not but 'eel a shade of regret to
notice how the ' old school ' sentiment and what we
will call the * Uppingham legend ' had been pushed
(most naturally) into the background of his mind.
But all this went by when we came, as we did at
once, to close quarters, and he laid bare the new
thoughts at work in him. He talked out the
religious movement at Cambridge (which was leaving
poor old Oxford a long way behind, I remember),
and the group of men who brought the ' new wine '
in ; and we argued with much fulness, and mutual
tolerance, I hope, the theory of Conversion,
touching on the question, which some of his
Cambridge friends had raised, of the practicability
of sinlessness. Then we came upon Missions to
the Heathen, and here, I must frankly say, I
trembled ; for he told me of some one who had gone
out to convert China (if I am correct) with no
companions, and no appliances except the Bible in
his pocket. George seemed to think my demur to
this plan had some reason in it : but I trembled,
seeing how congenial was the plan to the theories
running in his brain, lest another life, and one I had
some share in, should be lost in a morass.

That fear of mine was not unshared by other
friends. A knightly love of adventure conspired
with the disproportion of thought inevitable in a
time of religious stress, to push him towards courses
which we thought barren, if not dangerous. It was
with a sense of rehef that we heard later of his
destination to a well - organised field of mission

INTRODUCTORY CHAPTER. xv

work. Meanwhile, the touch of the ' clear spirit,'
of the glorious whole-heartedness of him, charmed
these apprehensions away. It was hard to do
anything but rejoice in him. It was easy to say he
was a little fanatical (why not, at one and twenty?),
but whatever there was of the fanatic was sweetly
redeemed by his sincerity, by a true freedom from
self-conceit, in spite of his assurance of mind, and
from any harshness, except, again, that which
new wine must always have. Pleasant, too, it was
to see how the old patriotism of school had only
undergone transformation, like the rest of him, and
was there again in the desire to evangelise. Two
years later, I heard of him as having given the boys
at Uppingham a singularly moving address on
religion and conduct.

As we walked, we reached the Welland and the
pool (it made him tell me the story) where he was
all but drowned ; and I remembered how, when we
had bathed, he discovered on the bank a gypsy
camp, and was at once in talk with the wanderers
on the greatest matters. Next morning he was
away across the hot three miles to endow the camp
with a Bible, which they promised him to read.

Where could I leave off better than with these
gypsies ? For I never talked with him again, and
have no further first-hand memories of him, except
a letter from Uganda describing some of his doings
with a modesty and an absence of colouring which
quite disguised the splendid character of his work
there ; a note on his coming the last time to
England with the promise of a visit to me ; and

xvl INTRODUCTORY CHAPTER.

another, dated from an unmooring ship, to wish
goodbye and speak his regret that his hard work
had robbed us of the visit. So I like to think
of him last among the gypsies. Are they not named,
-rightly or wrongly, of Africa ? Is not the little
scene a picture in small of the scene to come, of the
brave, whole-hearted, confident love of his 'bar-
barian ' brother in Christ, which has been so echoed
in the wild men's love for him ?

And yet that must not be my very last word.
For it does not fall to me to write of the Missionary,
bat of the boy of my ' old school.' So what I
would say is this. A chivalrous boy from an English
Public School is one of the beautiful things in God's
world of men ; and, to me, that knightly tale in
Africa will be most thought of as the full blowing
of a beauty of soul which I saw first and shall
last remember in a boy at Uppingham.

John H. Skrine.

CHAPTER I.

HOME.

Oh 1 'tis a noble thing to trace
Our lineage thro' a noble race ;
But nobler far where lineage leads
To noble thoughts and nobler deeds.

George Lawrence Pilkington was born ©n
Sunday, June 4th, 1865, at 35, Gardiner's Place,
Dublin; being the fourth son of H. M. Pilkington,
Esq., Q.C., ©f Tore, Westmeath.

It is no mere formality to speak, in his case, of a
noble ancestry, and the lines with which this chapter
opens, taken from a story in verse, by his father,
recounting the brave deeds of some early members
of the Pilkington family, voice well the aspirations
which have been handed down from generation to
generation, and which found a response in none
more truly than in Pilkington of Uganda.

To come to more recent history, the family of
the Pilkingtons is universally respected in the
country side of Westmeath, and amid all the
troublous times through which the Irish landlords
have passed, they were able to secure the love and
affection of their tenants. Though well known as
an old Protestant family amid a Roman Catholic
constituency, they have been able to over-ride the
B 1

2 PILKINGTON OP UGANDA.

bitter prejudices which have so often been aroused
over religious questions, and by their care of their
poorer neighbours, endeared themselves to all,
Roman Catholic and Protestant alike.

George's father was a most respected member of
the Irish Bar, from which he has now retired, and
he is chiefly known in connection with the framing
of the constitution of the Irish Church in which he
played a prominent part, and, for his distinguished
services in this respect, he was awarded the Honor-
ary Degree of LL.D. Trinity College, Dublin.

His mother was a member of the McDonnell
family, so well known in Ireland, her grandfather
being the celebrated Dr. McDonnell, of Belfast,
and her uncle, the late Sir Alexander McDonnell, a
scholar of the first rank, and one who, as Resident
Commissioner to the Board of Education in Ireland,
earned a brilliant reputation. Some words written
concerning him at the time of his death, in the
Spectator of Feb. 20th, 1875, are so striking in
their likencbs to the character of this Memoir, that
they are worth recording.

After a description of his life and work, the article
concludes: — "Those who have enjoyed his conversa-
tion must despair of expressing its charms. Frank,
enthusiastic with the enthusiasm of a boy, full of
recollection of the men he had known and of the
statemanship of fifty years, yet happiest and most
winning in the region of pure literature, and above
all, poetry. With his physical constitution, his
abstemiousness of habit, and his love of air and
exercise, he seemed to bid fair for fourscore and

HOME. 3

ten, but bronchitis, caught in a seasan more than
usually deadly, carried him off at the age of 80,
leaving few like him or approaching him."

With traditions such as these, it is not surprising
that Mrs. Pilkington possessed an unusual power in
the training of her children, to whose education and
development she devoted herself.

One who was a companion of George Pilkington
as a boy, and who shared with him Mrs. Pilkington's
teaching, says unhesitatingly that "his gift of
languages came from his mother." It is remarkable
that, in teaching her children to spell, she adopted a
phonetic system, very similar to that system which
George afterwards so strongly recommended as a
basis for the learning of a foreign language, though
we are not aware that he himself recognised the
likeness to his mother's teaching.

His mother, and those who knew him as a child,
noticed from very early days a remarkable power of
concentrating his attention upon anything he had in
hand, whether it was upon his lessons or the
manipulating of a toy. He seems to have had
naturally a scientific bent of mind, rather than any
particular taste for languages, and he was always
anxious to learn about everything.

He had a profound admiration for his uncle, Dr.
Robert McDonnell, of Dublin, and was particularly
fond of questioning him ; on one occasion when he
had inflammation of the lungs and his uncle was
attending him, his mind was absolutely set on the
scientific aspects of his illness. " Now, Uncle
Robert." he would say, " I want to know what is

4 PILKINGTON OF UGANDA.

giving me this pain," or, " My pulse is too quick,
and I'm very hot, I w^ant to understand about it."

At that time, his mother was afraid that, young as
he was, he had sceptical tendencies. He would
often say when he had been reading in the Bible
about some miracle, " I don't believe a word of it."
On one occasion, when they were reading the old
story of Elisha and the complaint of the sons of
the prophets that there was " death in the pot,"
George vehemently exclaimed, " I don't believe
there was death in the pot either before or after."

On another occasion, he came to his mother with
the question, " Is every word in the Bible absolutely
true ? " His mother's answer was one that might
well be remembered by others under similar circum-
stances,— " The Bible is intended to teach you to
serve God ; read it for that purpose, and in that
sense every single word of it is perfectly true."

With the advice of various friends, it was con-
sidered best that his attention should be turned to
classics, rather than that his mathematical and
scientific powers should be too strongly developed.

The basis of his classical training was well laid by
Mr. Bassett, to whose school, in Dublin, George
went as a day scholar when he was eight years
old.

Mr. Bassett seems to have been a schoolmaster of
great power, and with an intense belief in the
influence of Latin and Greek. He was noted for
extreme accuracy, and was a strict disciplinarian.

A former schoolfellow writes : — " He may be said
to have been Mr. Bassett's ' white boy,' as he was

HOME. 5

clever and hard-working, and was always well up in
his work. He was often held up to us other boys as
an example we would do well to follow. He was
by no manner of means, however, a bookworm. On
the contrary, he was fond of football and of all other
games, and took an active part in them.

He was of a distinctly pugnacious turn, and I
remember many a fight in which he played a
principal part. I have very vivid and distinct
recollections of a terrible encounter I had with him,
which ended in much bloodshed. We bathed our
bleeding noses in the pond in Wilton Square,
Dublin, in the presence of an admiring crowd.

He was chiefly characterised by a certain stub-
bornness of will and a tenacity of purpose which
showed themselves by his hard work at his books,
his pluck and doggedness in a fight or in games, and
his determination in sticking to a thing, once he had
put his hand to it."

Another, writing of the same time, says: " He was
always a boy with great confidence in himself. Often
he would almost irritate us by the way he would
develop a line of his own in any game we were play-
ing. He was always full of spirits."

Although born in Dublin, and at school there
later on, he spent the greater part of his childhood
at his father's country seat at Tore, in the county of
Westmeath. Here he was in his element, revelling
in all kinds of outdoor occupations. Here he gained
his knowledge of cooking, which was so useful to
him afterwards, and he was known, with one of his
brothers, to have improvised a rough oven in a field

« PILKINGTON OP UGANDA.

near his home, so that he was quite prepared for the
sort of cooking which fell to his lot on the march to
Uganda and elsewhere.

It was in the old home that he gained from his
mother his knowledge of cows, which gave him the
proud position of being in later years the chief
Uganda dairyman.

He was fond of all kinds of animals, and had a
special affection for pigeons, of which there were a
considerable number at his father's home.

George was ready for all kinds of games with his
brothers and sisters, and had a leaning to anything
of a mechanical nature. Electric bells, telephones,
or little engines had a fascination for him, and he
was exceedingly fond of watching any kind of
machinery.

At the same time he evinced, even at an early age,
a remarkable appreciation of books, and seemed to
take in the points of a story. When only ten years
old, his mother writes of him : " The boys are in
immense delight with ' Ivanhoe,' and I, as well
pleased to read it as if for the first time. George
gave witness to the admirable writing, by springing
to his feet and calling out with flashing eyes : ' It's
not fair, it's not fair, three of them had no right to
come at him at once,' when we were reading about
Bois Guilbert, Front de Boeuf, and Athelstane, all
attacking Ivanhoe."

Thus, in his early years, he gave evidence of the
chief traits in his character, indomitable persever-
ance, a keen sense of what was right, and a deter-
mination to do it, though without much religious

HOME.

impression, and, withal, every inch a boy, with a
boy's failings and a boy's instincts, only with some
premonition of the man that he was to be.

CHAPTER II.

UPPINGHAM.

A MESSAGE FROM CENTRAL AFRICA TO THE BOYS
OF UPPINGHAM.

Here from the land of the sun, of the blazing sand and the

plantain,
Write 1 a letter to you, my brothers afar in the home land,
Written in metre strange, in ancient hexameters, metre
Not unfamiliar to you who, grinding away in your studies
Late on a Saturday night, fill up the due complement weekly.
Brothers I say — not only as schoolfellows — brothers in kindred,
Race, and language ; and oh, how dear is this brotherhood

only
We who have missed it long can realize. Brothers we have

here,
Africans tried and true, who love us, whom we love ; united,
Yes, by the mightiest bond, the surest, the dearest, eternal
As is the Lord who binds us in one. And yet there is some-
thing.
Something we miss, and our hearts go imagining, wondering,

yearning.
Conjuring up old scenes, old faces, old voices, recalling
What we had never prized till we lost them, the blessings of

England.
Rich inheritance, known in its fulness to those who in far

lands
Mourn at the lack of love, at the lack of joy, at the tedious
Round of a hopeless life, wherein joy-bells are silent,

UPPINGHAM. 9

Joy-bells that only wake at the voice of the Lord of all glad-
ness—
Noisy, but joyless mirth, discordant, meaningless, aimless.
Empty cackling of geese as they splash in the mud of the

horsepond ;
Not the full-throated hymn, the melody born of the woodlands,
Born of freedom and joy welling up at the bidding of nature.
While pure streams spontaneous sing p^tans in harmony with

them ;
Stagnant mirth of the world, that wots not the joy of the

ransomed —
Yet here joy-bells have waked that will yet end the groaning of

ages,
Ages of bloodshed and wrong, of rapine and raiding triumphant,
Oceans of tears wrung out of tortured slaves ; that will end

the
Long, dark night, that already have ushered in " joy in the

morning."
Thus I to you, my dear brothers of Uppingham, home of my

boyhood.
Home that I Icvcd, and do love, and will ever love ; where yet

a vision
Floats of a face I know, whose frown was sore punishment to

me.
Whose smile heaven : a face where love and wisdom were

blended
With adamantine will ; his voice no more through the school-
room
Rings harshly sweet — the old man — our second founder, my

master.
Master, so far as to man that title is loyally given.
You who inherit his name, his work, his zeal, and his fore-
thought,
You who inherit the wealth, the stored-up blessings of ages.
Gathered by saints and apostles, by heroes who suffered and

laboured.
Won for us freedom and light, the soul-gladdening light of the
Gospel,

10 PILKINGTON OF UGANDA.

What is the issue to be ? What legacy, say, to your children
Will you bequeath ? What increment added ? What further

example
Yet of noble deeds, what self-crucifixion in laying
All that you have, that you are, at the feet of a crucified

Saviour ?
This my message to you from the land of the sun and the

plantain,
Borne from far Uganda, where blood of African martyrs
Freely was shed because they accepted Christ's perfect

Redemption,
Took Him to be their Saviour from sin and from sin's retri-
bution ;
You, the Christendom's heirs, you heirs of England, you sons

of
English martyrs and saints, you rightful owners of heaven,
Sell not, despise not your birthright, your heritage, heirs of the

ages.
So farewell, and remember in field, in hall, or in class-room.
You are in training for deeds to be done in the might of the

Saviour,
Worthy the mighty past and the glory whereon you are

builded.

G. L. PiLKlNGTON,

C.M.S., Mengo, Uganda,

Saturday, 8th July, 1893.

The choice of Uppingham, as a Pubh'c School, had
already been made in the case of George's eldest
brother, largely owing to the advice of the late Dr.
Phillips, then master of Queen's College, Cambridge,
Mr. Pilkington's brother-in-law. Since then, Mrs.
Pilkington had visited the school and was more
than ever satisfied that this was the right school for
her boys.

The one paramount consideration which led to

UPPINGHAM. 11

choice of Uppingham was undoubtedly the great
reputation of Edward Thring, who was not only a
clever and distinguished man, but what is much
rarer, a great headmaster. What Mrs. Pilkington
thought of him is well stated in a letter to her
husband during the time that George was at the
school. She writes : " I am, every time I hear him,
struck with how remarkably Mr, Thring is one of
those who ' speak with authority.' I never heard
anything in the way of reading, to me, so fine as his
reading of the Commandments. Every vestige of a
thought 'is there any other school I should like
better ? ' vanishes the instant I hear him say ' I
am the Lord thy God, thou shalt have none other
gods but me.' The intense force with which, with
his whole being, he himself is loyal to that God
comes out, and it is a thing that, in these days of
unsettled belief, is invaluable."

In another letter from Uppingham, Mrs.
Pilkington writes : " At three o'clock afternoon
chapel, we had a beautiful little sermon from Mr.
Thring, about ten minutes long, on these words:
' Thy Kingdom come, thy will be done.' I rarely
come across anyone who expresses with such force
and clearness just precisely my own opinions about
religion and education. What we want for our
boy is just precisely and exactly what he wants
for him. I look with wonder at that large chapel
perfectly full of boys, and reflect that, personally
and by name and character, that man knows them
every single one. ' More than three or four
hundred boys,' he says, * no headmaster can

12 PILKINGTON OF UGANDA.

possibly know, and he has no business to have
more boys than he can know.' George says there's
not a doubt that he does know them, both in their
games and their work."

George entered Uppingham at Easter, 1878,
obtaining a scholarship of ^^30 per annum, and so
rapidly did he rise in the school, that, by the end of
1879, he was in the sixth form. That he was a very
small boy to be in the sixth is shown by an incident
recalled by a contemporary of his, who had assisted
in putting him into an empty top shelf of the sixth
form room (the old library), to remind him that,
though he might be the cleverest, he was still the
Baby of the Sixth.

His house was Fircroft, and his first House-
master, Mr. Rawnsley, speaks of him as follows :
" He was always a merry-natured boy and ready for
fun, and was a boy of genuine courage, always
ready to dare anything, and would have been
pleased to lead any sort of a forlorn hope at any
time since I first knew him. His ability there
was no doubt of from the very first, he always
worked well, and he was always absolutely truthful."

Of his first few years at school there is little to be
said, except what has been already mentioned, which
could not be said of most boys, unless it were his
steady application to his work, and the enthusiasm
with which he entered into every department of
work or play.

As time went on, however, his work began to be
more and more appreciated, and it was evident that
his was to be a career of more than ordinary success.

UPPINGHAM. 13

"This boy is going to do us credit, Mrs. Pilkington,"
was the remark of Mr. Thring, some time in the
summer of 1882, and even in the previous Easter,
Mr. Thring had written about him, " I am exceed-
ingly pleased with his work . . . and if he, as I
feel sure he will, continues steadily on, and stays
here his full time, I feel absolutely certain he will
win a high place."

During Mrs. Pilkington's visit to Uppingham, in
May, 1882, she was staying chiefly with the Rev.
J. H. Skrine, who became an intimate friend of the
family and took the greatest interest in George, who
was ever afterwards greatly attached to him. On
this occasion, Mrs. Pilkington spoke to George
about his future. She writes : " I told him Mr.
Thring hoped and expected he would distinguish
himself at the University. He was delighted, and
said, ' Now, what do you think of me mother? ' I
thought, I wonder what you would think of yourself
if I told you the half of what Mr. Thring did say."

In the same letter, Mrs. Pilkington speaks of
having told Mr. Skrine that Mr. Thring had
proposed that George should stay on for two years
more, and added, " Mr. Thring found him so
young." Mr. Skrine answered, " Well, you see, he
is pretty sure to be second in the school next term,
that must age him a little." The complaint that he
was too young seems to have been the chief fault
that could be found against him, and his House-
master, Mr. Perry, complained that he was too fond
of the little boys, and allowed them to take liberties
with him which they ought not to take with their

14 PILKINGTON OF UGANDA.

captain. This love of boys he always retained, and,
even as a Missionary, he did not lose a certain
amount of almost boyish enthusiasm.

For the last two years of his time, he was captain
of his House, and Mr. Perry writes : " I felt that
things were absolutely safe in his hands." He
continues, " That he exercised a good influence in
the school generally, and still more in the House, is
undoubted. I may say that I had reason for
knowing that there was a certain amount of bad
language used in the House soon after he became
Head. With the help mainly of Pilkington, I
believe we succeeded in stopping this, and Pilkington,
later, was able to assure me that for many months
he had not heard an evil word spoken in the House.
If such words were spoken, it was in secret corners,
and not where the public opinion of the House
could be brought to bear."

In October, 1882, Pilkington secured another
scholarship of ^^50 a year, which is thus announced
by Mr. Thring : —

"Dear Mrs. Pilkington, —

Doubtless you have already received the
notice of your son's election to a scholarship in the
school for two years. I congratulate you heartily.
He is doing very well, and giving me much satis-
faction. I think he will be a really successful scholar.
With kind regards.

Believe me.

Yours very truly,

Edward Thring."

UPPINGHAM. 15

During the next Christmas Holidays, he obtained,
largely through the recommendation of Mr. Thring,
a holiday tutorship to some boys at Windermere.
Mrs. Broadrick, their mother, gives us the following
reminiscences of his stay with them at that time : —

" My first recollection of George Pilkington is one
winter afternoon in December, 1882, when he
arrived at the Windermere station from Uppingham
to commence his duties as companion and tutor to
my three little boys, during the Christmas Holidays.
He was not more than 17 then, and very young and
fresh and bright he looked as he stood there on the
platform and introduced himself to us all. He came
with the highest testimonials. I remember Mr.
Thring, the headmaster, said that, if we could prevail
upon G. L. Pilkington to take the charge, we might
indeed consider ourselves most fortunate. And very
soon we found this out for ourselves. A deep friend-
ship sprang up between him and the boys. His
scholarly attainments and high position in the school
filled them with respect, almost amounting to awe,
and his keeness for all games and outdoor exercises
was an endless and most delightful resource, during
those wintry days and long evenings.

What struck me very specially about him at that
time was his remarkable power of concentration.
He put his whole heart and soul into whatever he
undertook at the moment, both in work and play.
If he was reading to himself, no outside noise, or
chatter, or merriment seemed to distract him in the
least — he was completely absorbed in his book ; that
accomplished, he would fling it aside, rise up and be

16 PILKINGTON OF UGANDA.

the truest boy again, as eager in the successful
manufacture of small fireworks and balloons as if
that was the highest object of his ambition. Tobog-
ganing down snowy slopes, runs after the harriers
up and down the frosty mountains, rowing expedi-
tions on the lake, merry games in the long evenings,
made the holidays fly, until, one bitterly cold day,
he caught a chill which developed into a sharp attack
of pneumonia.

He was ill for a few weeks, but never was invalid
more cheery or light-hearted. His mother came,
and how glad he was, and how difficult it was to keep
him properly quiet. He requested that there might
be a special display of fireworks to celebrate his first
coming downstairs, and I can see him now, laughing
and rubbing his hands with glee as he watched
through the drawing-room window, as the little com-
positions went off with more or less success."

But to return to Uppingham, Pilkington could not
be called a distinguished athlete, though he took part
in most kinds of sports. Football was more to his
taste than cricket, as he considered it waste of time
waiting about for his turn to bat.

He was a long distance runner and was keen on
p-'iper chases, which gave opportunity for the testing
ol his powers of plodding, which were shewn in his
running as they were also in his work.

In his last year, he was elected a member of the
scnool committee of games, a high honour among
th''* boys, and he was one of the five out of the nine
m'^mbers who were elected by ballot of the rest of
t\'^ school, a :hing which necessarily speaks much

UPPINGHAM. 17

as to his popularity. At the same time he was not
popular with all, as Mr. Perry writes: "he was
too uncompromising for this ; he also saw the
ridiculous side of things rather too keenly, and did
not hesitate to show it : boys don't like being
laughed at, even when there is not a trace of unkindly
feeling in the laughter." At the same time he could
bear chaff at his own expense, and his nickname of
** Pilks," which he bore at school, stuck to him
through life.

Another point which Mr. Perry mentions is
alluded to by very many who knew him, and that
is " his really beautiful and melodious reading. In
those days, Mr. Thring made a great point of good
reading, and Professor D'Orsay used to visit us for
three days, twice every year, and every boy in the
school used to have to read from the platform before
the whole assembled school. Prizes also were given
for reading, and Pilkington won several. He was
one of the best readers I have ever heard, both in
humorous as well as pathetic passages. Of course,
this was partly due to his general intelligence, but
he had a remarkably sympathetic and melodious
voice, and the touch of Irish accent seemed to add
to its charm."

His great friend, Mr. Martineau, alludes to this,
and adds, " His voice and style were suited to a
lady's part ; he was very clear and refined in his
mode of reading. He was also generally one of
those who took part in the school plays given on
other occasions."

Referring to his aptitude in this respect, Mr
c

18 PILKINGTON OF UGANDA.

Skrine writes to Mrs. Pilkington to tell her how well
George had acquitted himself at a Shakespeare
reading. " I find George is starting to-day, and
will be with you sooner than any note can be, but
he won't have told you, what I can, that, in the
opinion of good judges, the scene in which Portia
figured was the best bit in the play. I don't think
they are wrong, and am rather proud of my scholar's
distinction in this new field. He has naturally a
very good voice, and he put a degree of feeling into
his part, which we hardly expect in so young a boy.
I wished you had made your visit to Uppingham,
and made it just then.

That you may have your due, I ought to add that
one of our audience told me that the boy had his
mother's voice and manner. Well, it is, perhaps, a
little thing that his performance should give the
hearers pleasure, and do himself credit, but it is not
a little thing that he should have the power of
feeling deeply what is noble and beautiful in
literature."

Perhaps the most striking testimony to his power
of effective reading was given by a boy, who, in
telling of the reading by Pilkington of a piece
of Shakespeare about the putting out of Prince
Arthur's eyes, remarked, " there was not a boy in
the room who could help blubbing."

Among other prizes at school, he obtained the
Holden essay, but what was of more value than any
other was the silver " Good conduct medal," which
he received when leaving, with the inscription, " For
good work and unblemished conduct."

UPPINGHAM. 15

Whilst at school, he was prepared for confirmation
by Mr. Skrine, and he used for some time to attend
a Sunday evening New Testament class, which Mr.
Shrine held privately at his house for a few boys.

No more fitting close to the story of his career as
a Public School boy could be given than the words
employed by his House-master, Mr. Perry, as
Pilkington was leaving Uppingham. Writing to
his mother, he says, '• Whatever happens to George
in the future, and there is every reason to hope that
it will be a worthy continuation of his beginning,
the good done by his bright example, and manly
and consistent stand on the side of right, can never
be blotted out. What he has done for our House
has laid me and all its well-wishers under a very
deep debt of gratitude." And once more he says,

"I do not think I can say anything more than that
his loss to me, as Captain of the House, seems
almost irreparable. Few boys, I think, will have
left with a fairer record."

CHAPTER III.

CAMBRIDGE DAYS.

In October, 1884, Pilkington came into residence
at Pembroke College, Cambridge, having obtained
a Classical Scholarship there, and a leaving ex-
hibition from Uppingham. He was quartered
with other scholars of his College in the new
buildings, and there entered upon his University
course, which was to have the most important
influence upon his future career. His first ex-
amination was the Little-go, which, but for an
amusing incident, might have been passed over
without notice, but, on his way to Cambridge
Pilkington had lost his luggage, and in his port-
manteau was the classical author which was set for
the examination. As he had depended upon looking
it over at the last moment, he was obliged to go
into his examination quite unprepared, and, though
he was able to do the translation perfectly, he was
absolutely ignorant of the subject matter of the
book, and so he was ploughed in the Classical part
of his Little-go !

It must not be thought from this incident that it
was Pilkington's plan to leave all his work for
examinations until the last moment. On the

CAMBRIDGE DAYS. 21

contrary, he had an intense horror of cramming,
which he had derived from his teachers at Upping-
ham, who had no sympathy with the modern craza
for results in examinations, but sought rather to
turn out good men.

Throughout his Cambridge career, he worked
steadily about six hours a day, and, as soon as one
examination was over, he began to work for the
next. He always timed himself when at work with
his watch before him, so that he knew how much he
was getting through, but he never sat up late to work.

He had definite methods of study which must
have influenced largely his linguistic work when in
Uganda. One of his contemporaries remembers him
saying : — " Many men who are in for the Classical
Tripos try to read all of every Classical author that
is at all likely to be set. My object has been to get
such a perfect knowledge of the root ideas of the
language, that I can understand anything at first
sight."

He took part in various forms of athletics, but
did not distinguish himself particularly in sports ;
at the same time he fully maintained his reputation
for energy and perseverance in whatever he took up.
He was fond of walking, and did a certain amount
of bicycling.

The College debates, in connection with the
Martlet Debating Society, engaged a good deal of
his attention, and he was also a member of the
Union.

When he first went up, he was very keen on
whist, which he studied with the aid of

22 PILKINGTON OF UGANDA.

" Cavendish," and he used to have whist parties in
his rooms, probably in connection with an Upping-
ham Social Club. A member of this club at the
same time, who was at another College, remembers
playing a rubber in his rooms, but adds, " we
played for love at his wish."

His love of argument is well illustrated by a
postscript to one of his letters, in which he writes :
" Whether has the man who draws first in a lottery,
or who draws last, the best chance of drawing the
winning lot ? I argued this question with the
Senior Mathematical Scholar of our year in this
College, and proved this morning, to his satisfaction,
that I had been right, he wrong."

It was about the middle of his time at Cam-
bridge, 'that the great change took place which
eventually led to his going abroad as a Missionary.
In order to understand this aright, it may be
interesting to give a short sketch of a religious
movement, which at that time was in progress in
the University.

In the year 1882, Moody and Sankey visited
Cambridge, and held their memorable meetings.
By many, the idea of a comparatively uneducated
man like Moody addressing an audience of under-
graduates was ridiculed, and their first meeting was
a most uproarious one. Moody gave his address on
the subject of Daniel the Prophet, whom he would
persist in calling " Dannel," and when Sankey had
given a solo he was encored. Yet, by the end of
the Mission, an effect was produced in Cambridge
which has never been effaced.

CAMBRIDGE DAYS. 23

Largely owing to Moody's work in Cambridge,
Douglas Hooper (through whom, later, Pilkington
was led to offer for service in Africa), was converted,
and, as a result of Moody's work in London later
on, C. T. Studd, the well-known cricketer, decided
to go out to China as a Missionary, and it was in
the early part of 1885 that he, with a party, who
have been often spoken of as the " Cambridge
Seven," went out to China under the China Inland
Mission. This party visited Cambridge before setting
forth, and their visit greatly quickened the
Missionary spirit in the 'Varsity.

It was at this period that the attention of under-
graduates at the Universities was being turned to
the opportunities for influencing boys and girls of
the wealthier classes, during their holidays, by
means of seaside services. Mr. Edwin Arrowsmith
was the leader in this movement, and with him
parties of young men from Oxford and Cambridge
visited such places as Scarborough and Llandudno
in connection with the Children's Special Service
Mission, with which Pilkington was closely iden-
tified on leaving Cambridge.

A particularly strong party visited Llandudno in
the summer of 1885, including Sidney Swann, of
the Cambridge boat, and Tyndale-Biscoe, the
Cambridge cox ; also Hector MacLean, from the
Oxford boat, and Cecil Boutflower, who has since
written a sketch of Pilkington's life for the Upping-
ham School Magazine. Wigram, Carr, Lewis,
Paterson, and others, who, later on, went forth as
missionaries of the Church Missionary Society, were

24 PILKINGTON OF UGANDA.

members of this band, and that happy month, speu
in one another's society and in such splendid work,
had far-reaching results.

One result of this work was that those who took
part in it were led to see that it was not sufficient to
bring the Gospel to bear upon the poorer classes of
society, but that a great responsibility lies at our
door towards those who have been well called the
" poor rich," and who have been greatly neglected
as regards spiritual things. This led men to see the
great opportunities which presented themselves at
the 'Varsity to Christian men in seeking to win their
brother undergraduates to Christ.

Accordingly, it was decided to hold some special
meetings for prayer at Cambridge, at the beginning
of the October term, and from these were arranged
a series of meetings, held by undergraduates for
undergraduates in the Alexandra Hall. Sunday
after Sunday, men testified to the great things that
God had done for them. There was nothing par-
ticularly remarkable about the addresses, but they
came from full hearts ; they broke down the barrier
©f constraint which is so often felt in speaking of
Spiritual things, and a great impulse was given to
the work of God in Cambridge University.

Meanwhile, there had come up to Pembroke, in
October, 1884, at the same time as Pilkington, a
very remarkable set of men. Their work may be
best described by one of them, now a Missionary of
the Church Missionary Society in India. The Rev.
H. J. Molony writes : — " I cast in my lot at once
with the most aggressive evangelistic set; and.

CAMBRIDGE DAYS. 25

perhaps you will understand why moderate men
felt it difficult to join us, when I say that four of us,
who were nicknamed in the College * the four
apostles,' divided the fifty-two Freshmen of our year
between us, and visited every man in his rooms,
until we had direct conversation with him on
Spiritual matters. To whom Pilkmgton fell in this
visitation, I cannot remember, but very likely it
was to Arthur Klein, our leader, a deeply loving and
faithful disciple of Christ. In the summer of 1885,
we held some meetings for our year, after hall, in
the rooms of Mr. H. T. G. Kingdon (of Clare), in
Silver Street. I think it was at the first (and
whether there was more than this one meeting I
forget) to which Pilkington and other men came.
One of us (perhaps R. D. Bishop, who lost his life
by accident in the summer vacation) spoke on the
words, * when I am weak, then am I strong,' and I
well remember that Pilkington stopped behind, and
I see him now, as he stood with his back to the
fireplace, and rated us well for preaching such
nonsense."

At about that time, George told one of his sisters
that Klein and his companions were mad, and he
probably would have scorned the idea that these
men could have any influence upon him, yet, in
spite of their unwisdom, as many may think, and
the want of tact which may have been shown in
some of their methods, it was largely owing to their
instrumentality that Pilkington was brought to that
^reat crisis in his life which he always referred to as
tiis conversion.

^26 PILKINGTON OP UGANDA.

Letters written about that time by George to his
mother, describing this change, are not to be found,
but, in answer to a question addressed to him by
the authorities of the China Inland Mission, in
November, 1887, as to the circumstances and time
of his conversion, he answers, "Two years ago, I
beheve, on taking a Sunday school class; but at
that time ' I saw men as trees walking.' Ever since,
my eyes have been opening more and more."
From his friends at Pembroke we learn, however,
some interesting particulars of some of the events
which must have influenced him. Amongst others
were, probably, some words spoken at a very
extraordinary meeting of the College Debating
Society.

The meeting had been called for the arranging of
the papers which the Society should take in, and it
was the occasion when each man proposed his
favourite papers, and various men took the oppor-
tunity of ventilatmg their own hobbies. The
Sporting section, for instance, would bring forward
" the Pink un " ; the Ritualistic party, " the Church
Times," and so forth.

Klein, and his followmg, consequently decided to
make this an opportunity of addressing men in the
College who would not ordinarily come to an
evangelistic meeting. They therefore proposed the
"Life of Faith," and Klein proceeded, amid some
uproar, to give a ten minutes address in which he
said there were two classes of msn there in that room,
those who professed to be' Christians, and those who
made no profession, and then he gave it as his

CAMBRIDGE DAYS. 27

opinion that those who made a profession of being
Christians, were not half so real as those who made
no profession, and that if the former would take
example from the latter in the thoroughness of their
methods, it would be a great thing for Christianity.
Three other men followed. Brand, Bishop and John
Mclnnes, so far as they could do so amid the fre-
quent interruptions, and so the meeting ended.
Strange though it may seem, it was probably from
this meeting that Pilkington was led to see that,
though he was outwardly religious, his heart was not
right in the sight of God.

Another friend, Murray Webb-Peploe, speaks of
the influence upon him of the meetings in the
Alexandra Hall. He writes : " There it was that,
for the first time, he was convinced of sin, and saw
himself to be a lost sinner in the sight of God, with-
out hope, or peace, except that which Jesus Christ
had provided on His cross. I cannot say how long
he was in this state of conviction, but, I believe,
from his own confession, he was unhappy and
miserable for some weeks, ' seeking rest and finding
none.' Here, however, his godly training stood
him in great stead in his need, for he knew some-
thing of his Bible, and betook himself to it most
earnestly, striving with prayer to God to obtain
guidance into the peace of soul for which he longed.
I believe it was in his own room, in the New
Buildings of Pembroke, that dear old Pilkington at
last found that peace and joy of heart, which so
characterised him ever afterwards. I know of no
human instrument in the matter. I believe he

28 PILKINGTON OF UGANDA.

withdrew himself into the desert of loneliness, as it
were, alone with God — and prayed until the light
came direct from God in His written Word to
his soul. I cannot help thinking that this was what
made Pilkington such a champion afterwards for the
Truth of God in the Bible. His change of heart, his
conversion, was not of man, nor by man, but entirely
the work of God the Holy Ghost, to whom be all the
glory. This one thing he used to tell me, however,
that he thanked God for his faithful friends at
Cambridge, who, in his own words, * would not let
him alone ' until they saw the grace of God working
in his heart.

From that time onwards, there was no man at
Cambridge more energetic and earnest in seeking
the salvation and spiritual welfare of his friends. He
attended regularly at the Sunday evening meetings,
at the Alexandra Hall, and almost invariably, I
believe, brought men with him, that they might, if
possible, share the blessing and joy of heart, which
he himself had thus learnt to know.

He was a teacher at the Jesus Lane Sunday
School most of his time at Cambridge, but his work
there became, after his conversion, a new thing
altogether, in that he sought the definite salvation
and turning to God of his class, as he had not done
before. He also joined enthusiastically in the
College open-air services, in Barnwell, on the
Sunday evenings of the May Term, and whether
it was on such occasions, or when he gave his
personal testimony at the Alexandra Hall, his
addresses always were characterized by clearness

CAMBRIDGE DAYS. 29

and definiteness of Spiritual truth and personal
appeal.

It was a great privilege to work with Pilkington.
His uncompromising attitude in regard to sin of any
kind, and his clear perceptions and definition of
salvation were truly helpful and encouraging to
those who listened to him. He never hid his light
under any pretence of a bushel, and it seemed to me
as if he made a special point of telling his friends and
acquaintances of former days of his newly-found joy
and peace in Christ."

That this was so is fully borne out by an old
school friend of his, who writes : " Though at
College we were constant friends, in my pigheaded-
ness, when he took to his more serious line, and
would discuss religious questions in my rooms when
other friends were there, I told him, unless he could
avoid that subject, I could not welcome him there,
consequently he, for a long time, would not come to
see me. I suppose, feeling it his duty to put for-
ward his views on every occasion." At the same
time he adds that this had no effect on their friend-
ship. Of his habits, a contemporary writes : — " As a
matter of fact, though I pretty often met him and
always greatly admired him, I wasn't very intimate
with him. I think the very greatness and goodness
of the man, perhaps, kept men, with his high objects
and thoughts, from getting very near him. His
soul was ' like a star, and dwelt apart.' To know
him was to condemn oneself. I don't think, with
his work and various engagements, he had time
for the long hours of idle talk, which may be a

30 PILKINGTON OF UGANDA.

waste of time, but enable men to know each other
so well. Pilkington seemed even then to have
greater things to occupy him. * Wist ye not
that I must be about my Father's business ? ' You
could not meet him and not feel he was different
from most men in his purpose and objects. But
I think I used to be most impressed by the great
happiness he possessed. Another thing was the
respect all showed for his goodness and character,
how it influenced their conversation and behaviour."

Of the change that took place in his life there can
be no doubt ; but, it may be asked, what were the
great truths which laid hold upon him, and gave
him the rest and peace and happiness which all
noticed in his life ? Of this he shall speak for
himself, and two letters — one to his aunt and the
other to one of his sisters — give us his answer.

Writing to his aunt, the late Mrs. Phillips, at
Queen's Lodge, on March 6th, 1889, he comments
on a service which he had attended at Holy Trinity
Church, Cambridge, whilst staying with his uncle
and aunt, in the following words : ** Mr. Sholto
Douglas preached about the assurance of forgiveness
and salvation in this world, showing that a true
child of God is not only saved here, but may, and
should, know it. My friend, on leaving the church,
expressed much pleasure at the sermon ; and I, not
knowing the man well, but believing him to be a
Christian, began telling him how, when I came up
to Cambridge as a freshman, I had been bitterly
opposed to any such belief, and considered it absurd
presumption for any man to say that he was saved

CAMBRIDGE DAYS. 31

He answered : * I should have thought the same
before to-night.' However, he had seen from Mr.
Sholto Douglas's quotations from the Bible what
the true and glorious teaching there is. I was
greatly encouraged by this."

It was no doubt the realisation of the great fact
of the possibility of having real assurance of salvation
in this life that gave to him the peace and joy of
which he so often spoke, but there was more than
that, and we have a much more detailed statement
of his position, in a letter which George wrote to his
sister, in continuation of a conversation, as follows :
" The first thing (this is to finish what I was going
to say in the 'bus) is for a man to realise that he is a
sinner, and then, to desire to flee from the wrath to
come. This is hateful to man's pride. * I never
intend to be driven to do right from fear : I work
from love.' (Just what I used to say when I was
unconverted and only working from love of self, and
when I was converted, but in the dark, for a year at
least.) Let a man once see that he is a sinner,
deserving — in the past, in the present, and for ever
(no matter how much saved), still always deserving
— to perish everlastingly ; that in him there is
nothing, and can never be anything, which can
merit salvation, then he can say and understand :

I ask no other righteousness ;

I need no other plea ;
It is enough that Jesus died.

And that he died for me.

Seeing that his justification rests altogether on
something outside of himself, he can accept the

32 PILKINGTON OF UGANDA.

words, * My sheep shall never perish ' ; seeing that
he can never deserve to perish more than at the
present moment, he can believe that he is predesti-
nated unto eternal salvation before the world began.
Then he can say ' Abba Father,' indeed, in perfect
and child-like confidence. And all this depends on
his seeing his own sinfulness. Then gratitude
comes in. Now gratitude is not a power to keep us
from sin, though many try to make use of it in this
way. Gratitude ought to send us to the only true
source of power and victory ; gratitude ought to
make us wish to lead holy and consistent lives, and
to win others to the Saviour; but only the Holy
Spirit can give the power. By preaching the
depravity of human nature ; by proclaiming that the
heart is desperately wicked, deceitful above all
things, that there is no difference, for all have sinned ;
that they that are in the flesh cannot please God ;
that, except a man be born again, he cannot see the
kingdom of God, then men may be brought by the
Holy Spirit to see their utterly lost and ruined
condition: then there is no fear of their apparent
conversion being a mere passing whim. On the
other hand, by urging beyond measure the duty of
living morally, men may satisfy themselves by mere
moral reformation.

You see, when a man is really converted, being a
new creature in Christ, ' he that is born of God
doth not commit sin.' The new birth is such a
reality that it must produce fruit. A good tree
cannot bring forth evil fruit. The new heart must
bring forth good things. If we declare these most

CAMBRIDGE DAYS. 33

unacceptable facts of man's ruin, and God's hatred
and wrath against sin, and certain and awful punish-
ment of it — emphasizing its awfulness by teaching
that without shedding of blood is no remission.

What can wash away my stain ?

Nothing but the blood of Jesus.
What can make me whole again ?

Nothing- but the blood of Jesus.
Nothing can for sin atone,

Nothing but the Wood of Jesus.
Nought of good that I have done
(or am doing — such as repentance, prayer, faith — or will do)

Nothing but the blood of Jesus.

Once a man sees the awful danger from which

he has been rescued, he won't see how close he can

get to the precipice without tumbling over. He will

• hate that which so nearly ruined him, and which

crucified his Saviour — sin and the Devil.

Repentance (yLterai/ota) means a change of mind,
and doesn't imply sorrow of necessity, true sorrow
for sin cannot come, I believe, till after conversion.
Regret for its evil effects is quite possible ; but
sorrow, because God hates sin, is impossible till our
heart feels the same holy impulses as God.

Repentance is as much — or a great deal more —
an action as a feeling — it is an entire turning away
from sin (perhaps only mentally, but still an active
thing), because first, sin is deadly and dangerous,
and secondly (when converted), because God hates
it.

To conclude what's been in my mind all through
this letter, doubt of our own acceptance with God,
D

34 PILKINGTON OF UGANDA.

of our everlasting salvation, comes from self-
righteousness in the garb of humility. It is because
a man imagines that something in himself is
necessary to atone for sin, that he doubts whether
he is saved. I stick to Leviticus xvii. 2.

* For I have nothing (and never shall) else to plead
In earth or heaven above
But just my own exceeding need
And His exceeding love.'"

It will be noticed that reference is made in this
letter to a time when, as he says : "I was converted,
but in the dark, as I was for a year at least." This
probably means that he did not at first realise the
full privileges of the Christian life, nor the responsi-
bilities which it entails.

Towards the latter part of his time at Cambridge,
he entered into all kinds of Christian work, besides
that of a Sunday School teacher in the Jesus Lane
Sunday School, and especially helping in various
ways at Christchurch, Barnwell.

Probably his first experience of special Mission
work was in connection with the Navvy Mission,
and an account of this is given by the Rev. H. J.
Molony. He writes : " In the Easter vacation,
1887, Pilkington came with me to conduct a Navvy
Mission in Yorkshire. I had had a meeting in my
rooms at College, addressed by Mrs. Garnett, at
which he was present, and, needing a companion
in the work, I asked him to join me and he
agreed. We stayed about a week in a farm-house at
Skipton, near which a huge resenoir was being

CAMBRIDGE DAYS. as

formed by damming a valley. We worked in the
mornings and afternoons, he at his classics ; and at
midday we went out and talked to the men in their
dinner hour, and, in the evening, we held Mission
services in a small hall in the village, or another on
the works. M}^ memory of him at that time is that
he wished to learn, and would not take a leading
part, but he gave addresses which were of an
argumentative evangelistic character.

We had one very definite conversion in the case
of a lad named Billy, who decided for Christ as we
were walking home one evening. We knelt down
and prayed with him in the lane, and he gave his
heart to God. He was afterwards an earnest and
consistent Christian."

During the next term, which was his Tripos term,
he took part in the open-air meetings, which were
held chiefly by undergraduates in various parts of
Cambridge, and, towards the end of that term, it
was laid on his heart to hold some Gospel Meetings
in the neighbourhood of his own home. The letters
which he wrote to Mr., now Dean Dowse on that
occasion show so well the humble spirit in which he
sought to undertake such work, that we give them
in extenso : —

** Pembroke College,

Cambridge,

June 3rd, 1887,

My dear Mr. Dowse, —

A number of Cambridge men have, this
year, been holding open-air Evangelistic Meetings
on Sunday evenings in various parts of Cambridge

36 PILKINGTON OF UGANDA.

— in particular, several men of my own College
(Pembroke) — about twenty — including our Dean,
have been working in this way, with the approval
and help of the Vicar of the parish where we hold
our meetings. Having seen something of the
blessing which can come by means of such work, it
has occurred to me that it might be possible to do
something of the kind in your parish next summer.
Of course, the first thing necessary would be your
sanction and co-operation. That is the reason of my
writing. I believe I could get several Cambridge
men to come over and stop at Tore, in the Summer
or Autumn, and take part in the work. We should
address ourselves to all, without distinction of creed,
who chose to listen, who do not know Christ as
their Saviour. Of course, I cannot promise that the
men would come, and I consider it wiser to ask your
opinion before definitely writing to them ; in case of
your approval, my next step would be to consult my
father, who knows and approves of our work here.
Therefore you need not write to him, or speak to my
people, before you let me know what you think
yourself.

I cannot believe that we can be justified in
hiding God's blessing from those about us by our
silence ; and, in our poor country, how much less,
when the knowledge of Christ is shared by so few ?

Hoping to hear from you soon,

I am.

Yours very sincerely,

George L. Pilkington.'*

CAMBRIDGE DAYS. 37

"Pembroke College,

Cambridge,

June 8th, 1887,
My Dear Mr. Dowse, —

I am very thankful for your letter. So
far, the way is made plain before us. I can answer
for myself and, I think, for any men I ask to come,
that we shall do all in entire dependence upon God,
knowing our own utter inability, and that only so
can our weakness be made strong ; we shall, I trust,
do nothing but lift up Christ, remembering the
promise, and I hope that everything may be done in
a way suitable to our solemn Mission, and so
* decently and in order.' We shall, I think I may
promise, conform ourselves to your wishes, as is
only right. I do not yet know whether obstacles
may not arise ; but I am confident that all will be
for the best. We shall have done our part : the
rest will be in other hands ; so, be the results what
they may, we shall be satisfied. Let us all, in the
meantime, give ourselves to earnest prayer that God
may both direct and bless the whole undertaking.
Believe me.

My dear Mr. Dowse,

Gratefully and sincerely yours,

George L. Pilkington."

It is, perhaps, not to be wondered at that, at this
time, there was a tendency for him to despise the
acquirements of mere knowledge, just as, before, he
had probably unduly exalted it. For a time, feeling
that he had neglected the study of his Bible, he

38 PILKINGTON OF UGANDA.

thought that he should read the Bible to the exclu-
sion of all other books. And he even contemplated
abandoning his Tripos and going abroad as a
Missionary.

Of this time, his mother writes : ** It appeared to
me at that time that his whole mind was absorbed in
the one thought — his sins were forgiven — he did not,
for the time, see that anything else was worth
knowing. He felt, I suppose, that he had not
arrived at this knowledge by any intellectual process,
and so, got to think intellect of little consequence,
and regarded the years spent in learning Latin and
Greek as absolutely wasted, I tried to make him see
that all knowledge was the knowledge of God, that
* knowledge rich and varied, digested and combined,
and pervaded thro' and thro' with the light of the
Spirit of God,' is what it becomes a Christian man
to have. He could not for a long time see it, and
it was, I believe, only in deference to our wishes,
that he continued to work for his Degree." Having
decided to do so, he steadily worked on for the
Classical Tripos, and, in the end, came out in the
second division of the first class in the memorable
year when Miss Ramsey (now Mrs. Butler) was
Senior Classic, being the only one in the first
division.

During the Summer, the Meetings about which he
had written to Mr. Dowse, were held at Tyrrell's
Pass, Mr. Murray Webb-Peploe, who was present
and assisted in the services, writes as follows : —

*' In organising our meetings, we were advised
not to have open-air services on the village green

CAMBRIDGE DAYS. 39

as we proposed, so our efforts were confined to
evening meetings in the Hall next the Church, and
to personally visiting as many individuals as we
could. The Rector, Mr. Dowse, was very kind
to us, and, if I remember rightly, took the chair for
us at more than one meeting. The attendances
were very good, but we were told that numbers
of the Roman Catholics, forbidden of course to
attend the meetings, used to listen outside in the
darkness, and so we arranged accordingly for open
windows and a loud voice when speaking. But it
was in visiting from house to house that dear old
Pilkington shone to my mind. He knew and
seemed to understand the people, and nothing
hindered him from witnessing faithfully to the
consequences of sin, and the love and power of Christ
to redeem.

He always had a word in season ready, owing, no
doubt, to his continuing instant in prayer, and living
in conscious nearness to Christ."

Mr. Hyslop, who was a friend of Pilkington's
during the latter part of his Cambridge career,
writes of him as follows : —

"To the outward eye, ' Pilks,' — as we used to call
him — was then much what he appeared to those
who saw him during the last years. I can recall in
my mind's eye the tall, stalwart figure, the square
head, the broad brow, the brilliant complexion,
and the somewhat feminine parting in the middle
of his hair. I cannot remember that he showed any
marked vein of humour, such as one had a right
to expect from his Irish nature. But he certainly

40 PILKINGTON OF UGANDA.

used to cause his University friends much amuse-
ment by his spirited advocacy of all articles of
apparel made on the Jaeger principle. He would
show us with delight his patent ventilated Jaeger
boots, and explain their advantages; and in many
a trudge through country lanes have I accom-
panied him when he was testing the same Jaeger
boots for their African travels."

During the long vacation of 1887, he was at
Cambridge for a short time, reading Theology. He
was a member of a class of a few men who were
studying the Greek Testament with the Rev. C. H.
Prior, of Pembroke College. Mr. Prior remembers
very clearly Pilkington's unwillingness to accept any-
thing conventional in the way of interpretation. It
is interesting to note here what Mr. Prior has men-
tioned Pilkington's great loyalty to Edward Thring,
his old Headmaster, whom he regarded as a hero.

He was up at Cambridge for another term, and
many hoped that he would go on and read for the
Theological Tripos ; among others, Mr. Boutflower
tried t© persuade him to do this. He writes : " I
remember urging him, with his brains, to stay on a
year at Cambridge and read Theology. He asked
me if I considered Moody a good Theologian. I
said I didn't think he had a right to expect God's
blessing unless he made himself a better one. But
nothing would shake his view that he should be
content if he could do Moody's work with Moody's
equipment."

He held to this view at that time, and at
Christmas, 1887, he finally left Cambridge.

CHAPTER IV.

THE MISSIONARY CALL.

Few men leaving Cambridge have had better
prospects of a brilhant career than those which
presented themselves to George Pilkington. His
friends and relations hoped that he would become
a distinguished schoolmaster, or that in some similar
way he would make use of the powers which he
possessed, and which had been so successfully put
to the test at Cambridge.

No better indication of his abilities can be gained
than by quoting some of the testimonials given to
him when applying for a mastership soon after
leaving the University.

Mr. R. A. Neil, Fellow and Classical Lecturer at
Pembroke College, Cambridge, writes of him: " His
course here was marked by a steady and continuous
improvement in scholarship, which is, I think, un-
exampled in my experience. This improvement was
naturally due to an honest and intelligent devotion
to work, and was fitly rewarded by a place in the
highest division of the Classical Tripos of his year
in which men were placed. His place was well

41

42 PILKINGTON OF UGANDA.

deserved, and forms a sufficient guarantee of his
capacity to undertake high school work. I believe
his scholarship will be supplemented by a very high
interest in his pupils, and that, if he is appointed to
a mastership, he will have the success to be expected
from the combination of most creditable attainments
with a high and vigorous personal character."

At the same time, Dr. Verrall, Fellow and
Assistant Tutor at Trinity College, Cambridge,
writes : " Mr. G. L. Pilkington, B.A., was my pupil
at Pembroke College during a considerable part of
his course as an undergraduate. He is a good
scholar both in Greek and in Latin. His com-
position was always correct and sensible, and
improved steadily with time. Before he went up
for his degree it had become often brilliant, and
I quite anticipated for him the high degree which
he actually obtained

All I heard and saw of him was to his advantage,
and I have much pleasure in recommending him for
employment as a schoolmaster, an occupation for
which I believe him to be thoroughly fit."

That he would have been fitted for the work of a
schoolmaster, his subsequent experience abundantly
showed, but there had already come into his life a
conviction which he recognised as the call of God
leading him to devote himself to Foreign Missionary
service.

Some thoughts of this came to him, as we have
already seen, before taking his degree, but it was
during his last term at Cambridge that he first
offered himself for the work. The Mission to which

THE MISSIONARY CALL. 43

he made application was the China Inland Mission,
whose work had been prominently brought to the
front through the visit of "The Cambridge Seven."
When asked as to the reasons which led him to
offer, he answered in the following way : " Because
I believe it to be God's will, and I think this
because the need abroad is great ; we have a sort of
plethora at home, and I am free to go, and Mark
xvi., 15. The need of Missions has come before me
urgently for a year." At the same time, he wrote
to his parents asking for their consent. In reply,
his father urged a delay of at least two years before
deciding such an important matter, and in conse-
quence, although George was accepted by the
authorities of the China Inland Mission, he
altogether abandoned his project, saying, " What
such a man as my father does not wholly approve of,
cannot be right for me to do." Thus, for the time,
he gave up his cherished plans and set himself to
whatever his hand found to do at home.

One more honour came to him, after leaving the
University, in the shape of the Winchester Reading
Prize, for which he was bracketted first with another
candidate.

During 1888, he was chiefly occupied in Mission
work amongst boys, in connection with the Children's
Special Service Mission.

Missions held by him, in co-operation with other
University men, at Newcastle and at Clifton are
specially remembered.

One who heard him as a boy at Newcastle, and who
from that time became a fast friend of Pilkington's,

44 PILKINGTON OF UGANDA.

writes thus of him : " It was his utter manliness
that first struck me : here was a thorough man
ringing true from top to bottom. Then that he was
a man of God : one who knew God and believed in
God. So he was a man of power. How well I
remember my first glimpse of him, eleven years ago,
as he came swinging round the corner — the great,
tall, strapping figure ; the beaming face — almost as
red as his scarlet tie— his hat far enough back to
show his broad forehead ; a huge, calf-skin Bible
under his arm, and a club of a walking stick in his
hand. I never saw him without that Bible ! But,
alas ! a Uganda calf ate it all but a few pages of
Revelation."

He also visited Durham and held Meetings at
the Grammar School, and, at the same time, some
Meetings for young men. One young man, brought
to Christ through his instrumentality, wished to
follow him to Uganda, but, being prevented on
medical grounds, is now working in connection
with the Irish Church Missions. Of his Clifton
Missions the Rev. J.T. Inskip gives us the following
reminiscences : —

" In July, 1888, Pilkington came to Clifton with
Murray Webb-Peploe for two weeks' work. The
meetings were held in a private house in a central
position, near Clifton College. The results were,
speaking frankly, very disappointing. The time
fixed was unfortunate, as all boys, of the class for
whom the Mission was intended, were at school.
On Sundays, the meetings were very large, but, on
week days, very few boys attended. On the second

THE MISSIONARY CALL. 45

Sunday morning, Pilkington arranged an Open-air
Service on the Downs. He knew that a large
number of the College boys would be within reach
after their service in the School Chapel, and he
hoped to attract some to this service. I had then
not long left the College, and, unhappily, courage
failed me and I did not attend the service, but
Pilkington and several of the workers persevered.
He was not discouraged by the apparent failure of
the Mission. He saw that there was a grand
opening in Clifton, and promised to come again in
the following January. In the opening days of
i88g, he began work aided by a band of young men.
Meetings were held every morning at the same
private house, in the afternoon football was played
on the Downs, and, in the evening. Drawing Room
Meetings were held by invitation. Boys flocked to
the Mission this time and the impression made was
deep and widespread. I can see him now — his tall,
upright figure, his solemn face, standing out against
the background of dark wall-paper in the meeting
room at Worcester Lodge. Some of his anecdotes
and illustrations are still fresh in one's memory. He
told the boys how useless it was, and how wearying,
to tie fruit on a fruitless tree — the nature of the
tree must be changed. He described himself as
being not the same person since his conversion — in
fact, as almost literally someone else, a new
creation. He stated that he had very little
conviction of sin at his conversion, but that he had
since found out more and more what sin really was.
And, in the afternoons, how heartily Pilkington threw

46 PILKINGTON OP UGANDA.

himself into the games. One dreary Saturday
afternoon, there was a run to Wick — a village
between Mangotsfield and Bath. The way was
unfamiliar and fog came, and some of the runners
began to lose heart. But Pilkington was in the
best of trim, and carried one or two boys in turn
on his back, breathing perseverance into the spirits
of all, till at length a hospitable reception and a
hearty meal at Wick Vicarage put everyone to
rights. All too soon the mission ended, but not a
few will bear through life the impress of Pilkington's
influence under the blessing of God. Some few
who took part, as boys or workers, have been called
away, one worker (S. W. Day) being killed by an
accident when riding only a month after Pilkington's
death. The majority are now scattered over the
world. But none will forget the happy weeks
spent together under Pilkington's leadership,
or the quietness and confidence which were his
strength."

Rev. Murray Webb Peploe, writing of the first
Clifton Mission, says: — "At Clifton, there were
some five of us Cambridge men taking part in the
mission to the Schoolboys, but, to my own mind,
Pilkington was a head and shoulders above us all
in his power of speaking to boys. This capability
he proved himself to possess either in addressing
boys publicly or in speaking privately to them
alone. His common sense, manly, straight talks
were the very thing for boys. He was, as I
remember him, like a big, simple boy himself, and
as he had a special love for boys, I do not doubt but

THE MISSIONARY CALL. 47

that he helped many a lad to clearly understand the
way of life and salvation."

During the time that he was working as Assistant
Secretary of the Children's Special Service Mission
he was associated with Mr. Martin Hall who was,
in after years, his colleague in Uganda.

As has been already stated, Pilkington felt most
at home when he was addressing boys, and Mr.
Murray Webb-Peploe adds : " Girls were never in
his line at all ; " consequently, as he did not find
sufficient opportunities for mission work amongst
the boys alone, he turned his thoughts once more to
school-work.

He spent a few days at Dover College, towards
the end of 1888, and, of his time, there a corres-
pondent writes to the Morning Leader : " He was a
first-rate classical scholar, at once precise and
deeply read, almost too much so for school pur-
poses. A splendid figure of a man — well over six
feet, and broad in proportion — he brought into the
schoolroom the imperturbable sweetness of temper
and childlike simplicity — in short, the Christianity
■ — that marked his whole life.

His earnest recognition of such things as services
in chapel that boys are only too prone to scamp,
the lonely walks, spent in serious converse, that he
would take with one or two members of his class
who particularly interested him, were thought
lightly of at the time. Perhaps they had a more per-
manent effect for good than the Greek verbs that Mr.
Pilkington taught with such conspicuous ability."

One of these boys, now Rev. E. H. Elwin,

48 PILKINGTON OF UGANDA.

Acting-Principal of Fourah Bay College, Sierra
Leone, writes of this time : " Pilkington was the
first man I remember to speak of Christ to me
when a boy at Dover College. He came to take
the Sixth, when our Headmaster was ill, in
November, 1888, and I well remember him taking
me to his rooms and asking me to read a paper
pinned to the wall. To my surprise, I read John
iii. 16. He then asked me if I knew the verse, and
how glad he was that I did in some degree. He
stayed with us at the College for twe-nty days, and,
throughout that time, kept asking boys to his rooms
to tea, and sought to win them for Christ. I
remember what a lift I got during those days, and,
after nearly eight years, with what pleasure he heard
he had been a help when I reminded him at Oxford
about it just before he last sailed for Uganda."

The summer term of 1889 found him taking
temporary duty as a master at Harrow School, and,
of this period, Mr. Hyslop says : — " he seemed
thoroughly to enjoy his work amongst the boys, and
I can remember well his telling me of the various
expedients by which he tried to make his boys
realise that 'life is earnest,' and to point them
onward and upward to the service of his Divine
Master. It is clear that he must have spoken to
them ' in season and out of season,' and I think of
this as one more proof of his whole-heartedness
and devotion to the work of God."

The Rev. W. D. Bushell, one of the senior
masters at Harrow, who knew Pilkington intimately,
speaks of him as one " who loved the school with

THE MISSIONARY CALL. 49

singular affection from the first day he knew it to
the end " ; and certainly his correspondence bears
witness to the very warm place which Harrow
always held in his heart. After Pilkington's death,
Mr. Bushell was entrusted with the following
message which was conveyed to the boys from the
chapel pulpit : " Whilst he was at Harrow, it
happened, by the providence of God, that he was led
to think of the possibility of sudden, early death ;
he had no fear of it, nor reason to expect it, then,
but he wrote down these simple words to leave
behind him : ' If I die here, tell the Harrow boys,
especially those of my own form, I sent this
message to them: 'Come to Jesus.'"

It is not to be wondered at that Pilkington's
plain and faithful dealings with the boys committed
to his charge, formed the subject of a certain
amount of criticism ; he would have been the last
to claim infallibility of judgment ; but there is no
question that many, who were boys under him, will
rise up to call him blessed.

The chief reason of his success was undoubtedly
the thoroughness and reality of his whole life. If he
spoke to the boys about their souls, it was not
merely to satisfy his conscience ; his whole heart
was in it, and his life so bound up with those
amongst whom he was working, that their joys
were his joys, their sorrows his sorrows. His
mother recalls how, one day, he came home with the
news that some boy in whom he was interested had
gone wrong, and says that he felt it so keenly that
he sobbed like a child.

50 PILKINGTON OF UGANDA.

On another occasion, he writes home to his sister
telling the good news of two brothers who he had
reason to believe had been helped by one of his
missions. He writes : — " the younger one in
particular sees everything in a new light — he
never saw before that eternal life was a gift ; he
sees it clearly and with wonder now — thank God ;
moreover, he intends to stand up at school for
Jesus ; do pray for him, for he will have a hard time;
he has announced that he intends to start by
burning his cribs. — Pray for him and his brother."

On leaving Harrow, in the summer of i88g, he
had in contemplation the possibility of acting as
Classical Lecturer in Melbourne University. One of
his testimonials was from Mr. Welldon, who wrote
as follows : " Mr. G. L. Pilkington, who is a
candidate for a Classical Lectureship in Trinity
College of the Melbourne University, is known to
me as a man of exceptionally strong physique, of
high scholarship and of Christian conviction and
character. If I may base an opinion upon the
printed list of qualifications for that responsible
post, I should say it would be hard to find a Lecturer
who could render more efficient service to the
College than Mr. Pilkington. He was my colleague,
at Harrow, for one term, so I have some direct
knowledge of his work. I have a sincere respect
for him and should be glad to hear of the success
of his present application.

J. E. C. Welldon,

Head Master of Harrow School.**

S'jpt. 1 2th, 1889.

THE MISSIONARY CALL. 61

But a wider sphere of usefulness was to open
before him than a lectureship in Melbourne
University, and it was in November, 1889, when he
was acting as an assistant master at Bedford
Grammar School, that the call to Africa came to
him.

In order to understand this aright, some reference
must be made to the plans before the Church
Missionary Society, at this time, for extension in
East and West Africa.

Mr. Douglas Hooper had returned from East
Africa, and Mr. Graham Wilmot Brooke, and Rev.
J. A. Robinson, from West Africa, and, in each case,
proposals had been made for an advance on some-
what more simple lines than had hitherto been
deemed possible, at the same time great stress was
laid upon the importance of securing a small band
of University men to act as a pioneering party.

Having gained the Committee's assent to his
proposals, Douglas Hooper set to work to find
companions to join him, and the account of his
stay at Cambridge may be given in his own words.
He writes : —

*' After four years in Africa, I went home and had
the great privilege of being at Ridley Hall again.
Very many were the talks enjoyed there with men
as to Man's claim on God and God's claim on Man,
and one day, Ernest Causton, now working at
Narowal, said: 'The doctors will not let me go
with you, but I know someone who might, he is
now a master at Bedford ; next Sunday he will be
my guest here and I will bring him to call on you,

52 PILKINGTON OF UGANDA.

and so I met George Pilkington, and he told me
his sympathies were with the China Inland Mission.
Sometime before, he had wanted to go out in
connection with that Society, but his parents had
asked him to drop the matter for two years. He
was struck with the fact of this time being just up.
I told him I believed the C.I.M. offered him nothing
that he might not enjoy in the C.M.S. My
sympathies were then, and are now, very much with
the C.I.M., and I venture to think that the
missionary cause owes no living man more under
God than the beloved and honoured Mr. Hudson
Taylor. But, at Cambridge, there was a feeling that
the more deeply spiritually taught men must join
the C.I.M. in preference to the C.M.S., and one
tried to disabuse minds on the subject. From the
first Sunday, Pilkington never seemed to doubt once
that God had called him to Africa. The idea was
that a few of us (the C.M.S. limited us to four)
should go to Ulu and live together in as simple a
way as possible. The people there were many, the
district healthy, and the food plentiful ; but it was
not to be, for, shortly before leaving, Mr. Wigram
asked one and all to go to Uganda. Mackay was
pleading for reinforcements."

Thus the call came, and there seemed to be no
doubt about it, but, before he would give a final
answer, he determined to put the whole matter
before his parents. He had heard God's voice
before, as he believed, speaking to him through
them ; he believed it would be the same again ;
accordingly he wrote to his father as follows : —

THE MISSIONARY CALL. 53

** Pembroke College,

Cambridge,
Sunday, 3rd Nov., 1889.

My Dear Father, —

I have a very important matter to write
to you about, to-day. I hope we shall all be able to
see it in the same light ; at any rate, I am not
making the mistake of not first writing to you and
Mother about my plans, before taking any step or
speaking to other people with regard to them.

Douglas Hooper (an old Harrovian and Trinity
Hall man) has come home, some months ago, from
Africa, where he has been working under the
Church Missionary Society for four years.

He has come back with a new plan of work on
the East of Africa, which he has laid before the
Church Missionary Society, and which they have
accepted and promised to supply the necessaries for,
if he can find the men. It is to take five or six
Cambridge men and make a station on a new route
to the Victoria Nyanza, between Frere Town and
the Lake : on the principle of living as simply and
as much in native style as is possible. There are
four points in his plan on which he lays stress : —

(i.) Not less than five or six men. — The deaden-
ing effect of heathendom is such that isolated men
succumb to it.

(2.) Cambridge men. — Experience has convinced
him that educated gentlemen are absolutely needed
for Africa.

(3.) A new route. — Virgin soil — because, on the
old routes, the natives are so habituated to the old

54 PILKINGTON OF UGANDA.

system of buying the chiefs' favour by innumerable
presents, that those who go on another principle are
not tolerated.

(4.) Native style. — As far cheaper and healthier
— so he says by experience — and also as the right
way of getting into touch with the natives.

This is the plan : he has with difficulty succeeded,
after some months, in getting three men besides
himself; no others seem forthcoming: he considers it
wrong to go unless four at least go with him. Most
men have ties and engagements which make it im-
possible, had they the mind, to go. How about
myself? If no one comes forward during the next
week or two — he wants to start in January — he will
give up the plan, and the East Coast will have to
be given up to darkness still, for we know not how
long, till another opening like the present occurs.
Mr. Wigram, secretary of the C.M.S., told him that
the Society's prospects never looked brighter than
they do at present in Africa : but what if this
attempt be given up ? What do you say ? It
probably lies between you and Mother and me
whether it will be carried out or no.

May I point out some of the advantages ? I
know you would like me to go out with the CM S.
rather than, as might happen, independently, or
with an undenominational Society. I am sure you
would be glad that five or six of us should be
standing together and helping one another to hold
fast by God rather than singly, or in twos, or even
threes. Again, the climate is not unhealthy for
Africa, as the proposed country is high. I know

THE MISSIONARY CALL. 55

how much you and Mother wish me to be a school-
master, but you would, I know, only wish me to
be a good schoolmaster; and, when the mind is
distracted even by a mistaken idea of duty, it is not
possible to produce good work. Supposing then,
for argument's sake, that I am best suited for a
master, even so, would it not be better that I should
be a good missionary {i.e., a missionary with his
whole heart in it) rather than a half-hearted and
dissatisfied schoolmaster — or, if unsuited to be a
missionary, should convince myself thereof in the
only efficacious, if unpleasant manner, by a sad
experience ? Neither you, nor Mother, nor anyone
else knows how little satisfaction I have had during
the past two years — a continual, ceaseless, restless
apprehension, ' You are not where God wants you.'
Suppose this is a delusion ; the delusion itself is a
terrible fact which is spoiling my life, preventing
me from doing anything with all my heart, and
rendering me more miserable than I can describe;
I assure you this is no exaggeration. To get rid of
this, by buying my own experience at the price of
all the pain of going out and the humiliation of
coming back *a sadder and a wiser man,' even so, it
would be a cheap bargain. But I don't want you
to think of my feelings. I want you to consider the
need — one man, a Cambridge man, is wanted : no
one is ready to go. How few men there are who
have so little to keep them at home; don't mis-
understand me — in the way of inclination, firom
home happiness and friends and love, who have so
much— but in the way of duty ? No one dependent

56 PILKINGTON OF UGANDA.

on me ; no one whom I should leave, who would not
have more than one to take my place: and the
blessings with which God har. surrounded me,
though making it harder to go, ought, from grati-
tude, to be my greatest incentives, if He wants me
there.

I have said all I can say, and I can only pray
that God will guide us all to see and to do His
Will, which who yet regretted having done ?
Your loving Son,

George L. Pilkington."

Two days later, he writes to his mother : —

"Tuesday, 5th November, 1SS9.

Dearest Mother, —

. . . I am wondering how circumstances
will strike you and Father and all ; just two years
ago, if you remember, you said, ' Wait two years.'
I engaged up to, but not beyond, the time when
it is proposed to start. Harrow left, from which,
perhaps, God knew I would not have torn myself
away to Africa ; my mind for two years in this
unsettled condition ; my daily and hourly longing
' Only to know that the path I tread is the path
marked out by Thee.'

You don't know how I long for that knowledge :
I believe I should be satisfied to black boots if I
knew that was 'the right way,' by which the Lord
was leading me. Now, if all these coincidences
with the definite need of a definite sort of man for a
definite work (which, unless I go, will — I may say —

THE MISSIONARY CALL. 57

be abandoned) ; if they strike you all at home with
the conviction that the Lord has called your son,
then the last doubt will have gone, and I will have
the answer to my prayer for definite and clear
guidance ; to stay at home or to go abroad — mind,
I've not asked for guidance to go abroad — but clear
guidance one way, that I might know, and so do
with a whole heart.

** Indeed, if unuttered wishes are prayers, I've
prayed to be allowed to stay at home. Anyhow,
dearest Mother, don't be unhappy ; if I ^o go, it will
only be in the perfect certainty that this is my
* vocation,' in which case, what an honour to be the
King's ambassador — and if I stay at home — all right
too.

Your loving son,

G. L. PiLKINGTON."

On receiving George's letter, Mr. Pilkington said
to Mrs. Pilkington, " God has asked for him, and we
must give him," and from that time every help and
encouragement was given to their son as he
prepared to go forth to his unknown work in Dark
Africa. The following is George's reply : —

"54 Midland Road, Bedford,

Wednesday, 6th Nov., 1S89.

Dearest Mother, —

Thank you so much for your letter, and
Father for his. I am glad to have the way marked
so clearly now. Not a sorrow, indeed^ dearest
Mother ; and I'm sure we'll all see that some day ;
but, for the present, we walk by faith, not by sight.

58 PILKINGTON OF UGANDA.

I've telegraphed to Douglas Hooper, whom yon
would like immensely. You'll tell people how much
one man was wanted to prevent the work falling
through.

Pray for all of us. One of the men, Cotter, of
Trinity, who is coming, was at Scarborough last
summer ; then there's a Corpus man, whose name I
forget.

Your loving son,

George L. Pilkington."

Having received his parents' consent, he at once
entered into communication with the Church
Missionary Society, and after some preliminary
correspondence, he wrote as follows to Rev. F.
Wigram, Hon. Sec. of the C. M. S., especially with
reference to his call to East Africa.

54 Midland Road, Bedford,

Sunday, 17th Nov., 1889.

My Dear Mr. Wigram,

Thank jou very much for your kind and
sympathetic letter. May I explain, if at some length,
what I feel about East Africa ? For two and a
half years I have felt the overwhelming importance
of Foreign Missionary work : during the whole of
that time, I may say, I think, I have not passed an
hour without wondering whether I ought not to go
abroad. My prayer has been for distinct and definite
guidance — ' only to know that the path I tread is the
path marked out for me.' I undertook school-work
because, in spite of these strong feelings, I could not

THE MISSIONARY CALL. 59

DC certain that I was being called to any special
foreign work; but neither could I be sure that
school-work was * the right way.' What I longed
for was certainty that I was going on a path of God's
choosing, not mine. When Douglas Hooper pro-
posed East Africa with his party, a fortnight ago, I
was convinced that my prayer was answered, and
this conviction was immensely strengthened by the
cordial assent of, first, my parents, and then of
many others from whom experience had led me to
expect at least a mild disapproval. Under these
circumstances, I feel so sure of God's leading, that
I not only hope that I may, but firmly believe that
I shall, be sent to East Africa.

Believe me,

Yours very sincerely,

George L. Pilkington."

The most remarkable testimony to his fitness for
missionary work was furnished by the Master of
Pembroke, who wrote : —

" I can hardly find words sufficiently strong to
describe his fitness for the work which, for years, he
has been anxious to attempt. He has the 2eal of an
Apostle and Evangelist, and, being a highly cultured
man, will be an enormous accession to the mis-
sionary cause. I have never had any pupil, who
has gone out, in my opinion, so qualified spiritually,
intellectually, and physically. There is the promise
of a Hannington or a Gordon in him. He must not
be too much interfered with. Allow him a free hand.
November 19th, 1889."

60 PILKINGTON OF UGANDA.

Pilkington's preparation for missionary work was
different from that which is usually recommended
for intending missionaries, and, in view of the varied
character of missionary work, it is worthy of con-
sideration if it would not be well for some to
engage in educational work previous to going forth
to the mission field. It may seem remarkable that
Pilkington did not seek ordination. On this point,
the Master of Pembroke, preaching in the College
Chapel after his death, says : —

** With many of you it will not detract from his
praise that he was a layman — that he joined the
Mission as a layman, and remained as such. I
never argued with him about his motives, but I
think I can fathom them. His mind was of that
independent order that does not easily submit to
dictation — especially of an absent committee. I
made a point of this, in writing to the C. M. S., that
they must not worry him with rules, or attempt too
much control, and that he would do original things
if he were unfettered. He was altogether unprofes-
sional, and you would mistake him if you associate
any affectation or sanctimoniousness with his
character and conduct. (A frank, genial Irishman
he remained to the last, with an overflow of spirit).
This is different, I know, from some of our concep-
tions of a modern missionary.

Being as he was, he can be used as an argument
for the freer and fuller employment of laymen in the
Church, which, I am glad to think, is gaining ground
amongst us. We do not now interpret Christ's
command to preach the Gospel to all nations to be

THE MISSIONARY CALL. 61

only a clerical obligation, we recognise that His
Society is of laymen, and we have ceased to describe
an intending clergyman as ' one who is going into
the Church.' That is wrong in thought and ex-
pression,"

On December 3rd, i88g, George L. Pilkington
was accepted as a missionary of the Church
Missionary Society at the same time as Baskerville
and Cotter, all of whom were destined for Eastern
Equatorial Africa, Graham Wilmot Brooke and
Eric Lewis being accepted for the Niger on the
same day.

From December 3rd, i88g, to January 23rd, 1890,
the date when the East African party left London,
was none too long for the work of outfitting, and
for taking leave of friends, and other preparations
for the journey. Since the plans for the East
African party had first been formulated, news had
reached England which led to a change in their
probable destination. The need of reinforcing
Uganda, now that it seemed possible to reach it, was
felt to be the primary duty of the new band, and
they were ready to fall in with, the arrangements
which were made for them, their instructions being
to proceed to the coast and to wait there until the
way opened for them to proceed up country.

The public leave-taking was a most impressive
occasion, being the first occasion on which Exeter
Hall had been taken for a valedictory meeting of
C.M.S. Missionaries. Of this, a correspondent of
the Church Missionary Intelligencer, now a member
of the editorial staff, wrote : —

62 PILKINGTON OF UGANDA.

" It was a bold experiment to engage Exeter Hall
for a Farewell Meeting to the band of missionaries
set apart for Africa, but it was a venture more than
justified by its success. On the evening of January
2oth, the doors were besieged as at the Annual
Meeting of the Society, and, when they were thrown
open, the crowd surged into the great hall. Many
of the features of an Annual Meeting of even more
than usual interest were there — the room full to the
back of the gallery and the furthest corner of the
great platform ; gangways crowded with people
unable to obtain seats ; and well-known faces to be
seen on every side. We were especially pleased to
welcome representatives of other Missions, such as
Mr. James Mathieson, Mr. Hudson Taylor, and Dr.
Pierson of Philadelphia ; and also sixty Cambridge
undergraduates, who had come up in a body with
Mr. and Mrs. Moule.

One is led to ask what was the immediate cause
of all this interest. The explanation is to be found
in the striking character of the missionaries on the
platform. In Bishop Crowther, we have the only
non-European bishop that has been consecrated
since the days of the early Church, and a man whose
romantic career and long services will always com-
mand the public attention. In some of the younger
missionaries, we have men of marked individuality,
of great ability, and of still greater devotion. And
the novelty and danger of their plans have attracted
the liveliest interest of all friends of Missions."

There were no long speeches at this meeting, but
each of the male members of the two missionary

THE MISSIONARY CALL. 63

parties proceeding to East and West Africa, rose, one
after another, and either told of the works in which
they had already taken part, or asked for prayer as
they went forth for the first time.

After the President of the C.M.S., Sir John
Kennaway, had spoken, followed by the Rev. H. C.
G. Moule, Bishop Crowther addressed the meeting,
and, after him, Mr. Graham Wilmot Brooke, the
Rev. Eric Lewis, and Dr. C. F. Harford- Battersby,
proceeding to the Upper Niger with a view to
reaching the Sudan; the Rev. F. N. Eden, the
Rev. H. H. Dobinson, and Mr. P. A. Bennett,
appointed to the Lower Niger; and the Rev. H.
Tugwell, now Bishop Tugwell, located to Lagos
This formed the West African contingent. The
East African party followed, consisting of Mr-
Douglas Hooper, Mr. G. L. Pilkington, Mr. G. K.
Baskerville, and Mr. J. D. M. Cotter.

Mr. G. L. Pilkington said he was going out
because he knew the Lord had saved him, and that
nothing could separate him from the love of Christ ;
because the Lord's command was laid upon him ;
and because, since He is King, we have but to do
His will and we shall be safe. He had been kept,
he said, * with a light heart,' not that he was going
lightly, for he had never given anything such care-
ful consideration. He urged upon those present to
forestall the coming of Christ by accepting His
salvation and by doing Him service."

A little incident connected with this meeting is
recorded by a friend of his, the Rev. R. S. Heywood,
now a Missionary in India. Mr. Heywood writes :

64 PILKINGTON OF UGANDA.

" At his first dismissal meeting at Exeter Hall, a
number of us went up from Cambridge, and I was
glad to come across him at the bottom of the stairs
?t the Hall, so as to have a last chat. As we stood
there, I noticed several people going up and looking
with great interest at him, some evidently pointing
him out to others. I mentioned this to him, and at
once, with an exclamation of distress, he asked me
to move with him into a more remote corner, where
he would not be conspicuous. This was only one
instance of the humility which all my acquaintance
with him showed was most truly genuine."

The last night in England was spent under the
hospitable roof of the Rev. W. D. Bushell. From
there, he wrote to his mother as follows : —

** I am just beginning this letter before going to
bed to-night, to finish it in the morning. I can only
praise God for His goodness to me during the last
few days. He has been so with me both here and
in Cambridge. We had 3,000 in Exeter Hall, more
than 50 men came up from Cambridge."

Next morning he writes : " Bushell has given me
a pedometer and several other things — he is kind.
It's all right. I've never doubted that this is the
way (Rom. viii. 28)."

On the same day, January 23rd, i8go, the East
African party left London in the s.s. " Kaparthala,"
and, after an uneventful voyage, reached Frere Town
where they were to wait till arrangements could be
made for them to proceed to Uganda.

CHAPTER V.

A VISIT TO KILIMANJARO.

Not long after arriving at Frere Town, finding
that there must be considerable delay before starting
for Uganda, Pilkington accompanied Mr. Binns on
a journey to the neighbourhood of Kilimanjaro, of
which he gives the following description : —

"TarO, E.E. Africa,

(Half-way from Mombasa to Taita),
Sunday, April 20th, 1890.

Seated on a box, with two other boxes for a
table, our porters squatting or standing all round,
just finishing their breakfast of rice and dried fish,
Mr. Binns, Secretary of the C.M.S. for the Coast
districts, writing beside me on our only little table,
ten o'clock this Sunday morning, I am answering
your letters.

I want to write a letter which will give you
some idea of what an African Safari is like, and so
I write to you only, but, of course, you will show it
to the rest. If I tried to write a lot of letters, none
would be satisfactory. I am keeping a diary, to
which I shall refer now, and tell you all that has
happened since I left Frere Town. By the way,
F U

66 PILKINGTON OF UGANDA.

Hannington came this way, as he relates in the 20th
and succeeding chapters of his life.

We started at 2.30 on Monday from Frere
Town by boat up the creek, which stretches up a
dozen miles or so inland. *' We " means Mr. Binns
and his dog Nellie, myself, Edgar and his dog
Minnie, whose existence I was, till last Sunday,
ignorant of, but on Monday he, Edgar, presented
himself with a bit of rope round the animal's neck,
and fully determined on having this gaunt, half-
starved, and, to me, specially obnoxious beast as his
companion to Chagga.

Miss Ramsay went with us to Rabai, to take
back Miss Barton to Frere Town next day.

Our porters were to meet us at Rabai.

We sailed and towed up the winding creek,
sometimes as much as a mile broad, but narrowing
further up between mangrove swamps, and, finally,
not more than twenty yards across. I had a shot
at a big water-bird with Binns' gun, but missed.

We reached the " banderini," or landing place,
about 5.30, where we waited till the dhow contain-
ing our loads, i.e., tents, clothes, food, rice for the
men, should arrive, to be carried up to Rabai by the
forty men or so whom we found waiting our arrival.
After a few minutes — during which we drank the
juice from some " dafu," or young cocoanuts, which
Binns had brought — we heard the panting of the
Company's Steam Launch coming up the creek.
We hoped it would be tugging our dhow, but it was
not ; it brought Crawfurd of the Company, who, I
told you, was to go with us to Taita. We left the

A VISIT TO KILIMANJARO. 67

men to bring the loads, hearing that the dhow was
only just behind, and started on our way to Rabai,
It was a very good road for Africa, European-made,
and therefore several feet broad — the native roads
just like sheep tracks, — it was very pretty, through
undulating, country ; we saw lots of orchids. We
reached Rabai, which is four miles distant, about
6.30. Passing the fine church, which it was almost
too dark to see, we came to Burness's house, where
we were kindly received by Mr. Burness and his
wife. Miss Barton, of Frere Town, was with them
as I mentioned before. After tea, I went out with
Burness, but could see nothing for the darkness but
fire-flies, of which there are thousands.

Crawfurd had not yet got enough Rabai men to
supplement his Zanzibaris up to the 100 he wanted,
so we could not start till the afternoon of Tuesday.
I walked round Rabai with Binns in the morning ;
it has a population of 1,500. At Church, in the
morning at 6.30, there were 300 or so present.
The native pastor, Jones, is often mentioned by
Hannington. The population consists half of
Waswahili and half of Wanyika, drawn there (for
Binns said he remembered when there were not
more than fifty or sixty people), by the security of
property which a European settlement gives (we
heard of an incursion of Masai only ten miles away
from Rabai the other day), and, let us hope, some
perhaps, by the Gospel. It is, at any rate for Africa,
an important place and market. The Wanyika
huts are very primitive — from the outside just like a
small rick of damaged hay — no windows whatever ;

68 PILKINGTON OF UGANDA.

the Swahili huts are very superior. I saw, in Rabai,
an India-rubber tree, from which Binns, in a iew
minutes, by cutting the bark and rubbing the sap on
his hands, made a little piece of india rubber.

We started at 2.15, and reached Mwachi (seven
miles) at 4.10. These halting places are not towns
or villages as a rule, but merely places where water
is. The water here (which Crawfurd called splendid)
was like the water in the pond at Tore to look at,
only covered mostly with green stuff. We boil and
then filter all our water ; the natives drink it neat.
We pitched our tents and set up our bedsteads for
the night. Edgar sleeps on my waterproof sheet in
my tent ; the men sleep out ; but since that first
night, when there was heavy rain, they have rigged
up little tents with sticks and a little cloth or cut
grass. The first thing on arriving in camp is, for us,
who have carried nothing heavier than an umbrella
and a monstrous hat, to rest — for the men, who have
carried a load of 5olb. to 6olb. (sometimes more),
generally on their heads, to fetch firewood and
water. Last night, I counted more than a dozen
fires round about. The men sleep with feet toward
them, and they keep off wild beasts. And now to
make a digression. The contrast will have struck
you already. The people, to whom we have come to
preach, lie on the ground or iA a reed or grass hut,
eat rice and a bit of dried fish (two cupfuls of
rice and a handful of dried fish is a day's ration),
carry a load under a burning sun for ten or
twelve miles which I should be sorry to carry
a mile in England, walk barefoot on the

A VISIT TO KILIMANJARO. 69

scorching ground, while we live in grand houses
or tents (palaces to these people), sleep on beds as
comfortable as any at home, eat chickens (carried in
a box alive), preserved meat, green peas (preserved),
te^, cocoa, biscuits, bread, butter, jam. Necessary
for health, perhaps, some of these things may be.
It's all very well for people at home, who know that
we should have these things and others too, if we
had stayed at home ; but how are these ignorant
people to know or to believe that ? They see we
live like princes (in their eyes) ; they cannot but
believe that it is for these luxuries we come here :
they're not luxuries at home, at least, nothing like
to the same extent. Now my feeling at the present
moment is that, if it is not possible, or if there is
not a prospect of its becoming possible, to live very
differently, we might almost as well be at home.
Don't think I'm complaining of anything or any-
one. I enjoy these things and with a clear con-
science at present: the roast chicken we had the other
night was very good ! so were the peas ! and I sleep
on my comfortable bed as well as if I were at home ;
but I stick to what I've said, and say what I think.
It's no good coming out here unless we persuade
these people (not people at home) that we've come
out for something that is not for our own comfort,
nor profit, nor sport ; and, to do so successfully, it
may be necessary to do things which would other-
wise be foolish and wrong. However, don't be
frightened. I take tremendous care of my health,
and mean to do so. One more remark about above
subject — our life ought to be such as to compel the

70 PILKINGTON OF UGANDA.

natives — not Englishmen — to ask, " What on earth
brings these fellows out to live like this among us ?

There is such a gulf between us already — language,
character, thought, and religion ; it is terrible if it
is necessary to set up another barrier, a physical
one, to point all the others out as by an object
lesson to these children, such children they are, I
think, and so Irish, so like myself, coming in with
their loads after a long march, singing and running to
shew that they're not tired; taking the tool out of the
white man's hand, when he sets himself to some rough
work, saying that such is not for the likes of him, an
acknowledgement of a social distinction which you
will find in Ireland, but not much in England.

We were up about five on Wednesday morning ;
pack all things in great haste, drink cocoa and
biscuit, and start at 6.40 (a late start — the sun
always rises at six, and we ought not to start later) .
We reached Mto Kajembe at 9 a.m. (nine miles) ; here
we had breakfast, pitched tents, slept, etc., till 2.30,
when we started, and reached Mto Wa Munyo (Salt
River) at a quarter to four (four and three-quarter
miles). We stopped here for the night. I had a
bath in a portable India-rubber bath, very delightful ;
we saw a lot of partridges on this and next day ;
we have also seen several vultures. The general
appearance of the country is that of an undulating
(or even hill}') plain, well sprinkled with small trees,
chiefly mimosa, occasional thick, impenetrable bush
— the soil is sandy, covered by coarse grass, as on
the edge of the bog at home.

On Thursday, off at 5.50; we had not got far

A VISIT TO KILIMANJARO. 71

when the men in front stopped and waited for us to
come up, as two splendid antelopes, very dark, long,
straight horns, big as mules, were grazing about 300
yards ahead. We saw what Binns said was a flowering
fungus, and very rare. We saw two small antelopes
at a place called Gora, perhaps mentioned by
Thomson or Hannington. We reached Samburu at
8.35, ten and three-quarter miles (all measurements by
pedometer, given me by Mr. Bushell). On, one and
three-quarter miles, in the afternoon, to what Thomson
calls, "the stone reservoirs of Duruma." A Duruma
man here asked why no Missionaries came among
them, Thr ee of Crawfurd's Zanzibaris ran off this
day; they had been paid fifteen dollars {£2) in
advance.

Left next day at six ; went on, with an hour for
breakfast, to this place, Taro, twelve and a quarter
miles, reaching this before eleven, the day before
yesterday. We then waited for mails which arrived
yesterday at 4.30. Forty of Crawfurd's Zanzibaris
made their escape on this last march ! Seventeen
loads are missing, stolen by the men ; runaway
porters generally leave their loads on the road, but
these, Crawfurd says, are a mere pack of thieves.
They were engaged for him by a clerk, who got a set
of boys to begin with, and besides, the riff-raff of
Zanzibar. His headmen accompanied Stanley on
the Emin Pasha relief expedition, but he doesn't
know whetb-^r he can trust even them. He lost,
among other things, some most valuable papers,
and he is himself now ill with dysentery. The
mails arrived yesterday, and with them the news

72 PILKINGTON OF UGANDA.

that Mackay was dead ! Since he went to Uganda
in 1876, he has never come down to the coast. He
has left us an example of perseverance.

Crawfurd started back this morning, carried by
four men, in a waterproof sheet slung on poles.

Now just a word as to my health ; I am thankful
to say I am perfectly well ; this Safari has cured my
prickly heat and trifling tropical rash."

" Frere Town,

June 17th.
We went on again on Monday. The next place
where we were sure of water was forty miles away ;
so we had to push on. We found some water, as a
matter of fact, about half-way, but it didn't help us
much, as we only rested a little time, while the men
re-filled their gourds, dried, in which they carry
water. We walked seven-and-a-half hours on
Monday, and then slept without water, i.e., at a
place where there was no water, and without tents.
Off again at 5.20 a.m., still dark, four-and-a-half
hours' of hard walking, such a crooked road, ending
up a steep hill ; under a blazing sun, we at last
reached the hill of Maungu. (I forgot to explain why
this letter was delayed. Three weeks ago to-day, I
wrote to Mother ; that evening the doctor sent me
to bed in high fever, which continued, more or less,
for a fortnight ; I am thankful to say it is gone now,
but I am still fearfully weak. We hope to start to-
morrow week for Zanzibar, en route for Uganda. We
like the four new men very much, and the Bishop
extremely, which, I expect, I said in my last letter).
At Maungu, the unfortunate men, after arriving

A VISIT TO KILIMANJARO. 73

some time after us with their heavy loads, had to
mount the hill for water, a good hour's walk. It is
a lovely place, a high pass between two hills, with
a splendid view, filled with flowers ; convolvulus
creeps over half the little trees. In the afternoon,
Binns and I went up to the top, washed (how
delightful), and saw a troop of chattering monkeys,
and — Kilimanjaro's snowy head, far, far away.
Within the last few months, Dr. Meyers, a German,
has got to the top ; it is almost 20,000 feet high,
Mont Blanc with Ben Nevis piled above it.

Next day we reached Taita (Mt. Ndara 6,000 feet
high), a C. M. S. station, just given up, for the
present at least. We saw the Missionary (who has
just left this room, Morris), after that a splendid swim
and wash, with soap, in a mountain stream, that
was very full after the rains they had had, and filled
a fine rocky basin, almost out of my depth.

Next day, on again, five-and-a-quarter hours' morn-
ing walk to a populous village — Matali — in a lovely
and well-cultivated valley ; the afternoon we rested in
our tents, eating roast Indian-corn cobs and sucking
sugar cane. The people very friendly. On next
day, up and around a mountain — lovely view of
Kilimanjaro — and down again into a rich and
wooded country. Then we started across Seringete,
the waterless track of fifteen hours' march. How-
ever, we found a fine pool half-way, where we
camped. Here, and all this day, we saw animals in
great numbers — zebra, ostriches, eland, hartebeest,
vultures, giraffes, and buffaloes — very dangerous
beasts, (not so many tracks of lions), leopards,

74 PILKINGTON OP UGANDA.

elephants, rhinoceros, and, of course, hyenas howling
every night. We have them here. Quails there
were in endless numbers, also partridges and guinea-
fowl. The flowers are often magnificent, but I
can't describe them, and, except at Maungu, they
were, as a rule, so scattered that there was nothing
so fine as a spring or summer field at home.

Next day, Binns shot an Eland as big as a cow,
to the men's great delight, for, of course, we could
eat only a little of it. We had to camp on the spot
while they cut it up and cooked it, and gorged
themselves all night long. The cooked, or, rather,
burnt morsels they disposed of to great advantage (as
I thought, for I wouldn't have touched it) for splendid
bunches of bananas and plantains and sugar cane.
This was at Taveta, a prosperous village below
Kilimanjaro, hidden in the heart of a great forest. It
was fine making our way under the great trees, dark-
ened by creepers (not so dark, perhaps, as Stanley's
forest), till we came to the " gate" where you have
to fire off guns and pay so much cloth to get in.
These great log gates, remind one of Irish
" gates " on a huge scale. The " gate " consists of a
huge pile of logs which have slowly to be unheaped
to let you pass. Then through another forest, this
time of bananas — a beautiful sight, with the huge
bunches of fruit hanging down everywhere. We
spent a pleasant afternoon and morning next day
buying food and watching the Wataveta. Then
we started about one, but alas ! some non-Tavetans
had barred the road by the other gate, they wanted
cloth ; this was an imposition we considered, so we

A VISIT TO KILIMANJARO. 75

came back, re-crossing three rivers, either on
slippery, dangerous planks, or rather round poles,
at the risk of a wetting, or by wading them. One
of the " Elders " of Taveta, on our return, assured
us they had no authority at that gate, and advised
our taking another road. After losing our way, and
having to come back a good bit — three times I
think — at last we really started at half-past three.
We only got two hours on our way and had to
camp in a bad place, where there was no water.
Next evening we got within one-and-a-half hours of
Chagga ; the men, who were behind, thought we had
pushed right on, and camped on their own account.
We were left with boys, cook and guide, no food, no
change of clothes, no tents, and it was raining — with
a fire, indeed, by which we lay — till the cook and
guide, who had gone back, brought up the men with
the loads which we wanted. Next day early, we
reached Chagga."

The chief object of this journey was to interview
the King of Chagga, and to bring him, if possible,
to treat the work of the C.M.S. more favourably.
Of the interview, and of some further incidents of
their visit, Mr. Pilkington writes : —

"The kingdom of Chagga, where Mundara, the
one-eyed king, reigns, is a lovely spot on the lower
ridges of the great, twin-peaked, snow mountain,
Kilimanjaro. Here we found ourselves in the
presence of this one-eyed, African despot.

The contrast was strange : — ' The palace,' more
like a cabin to our eyes ; the courtyard, a horrible
quagmire of filthy mud; and there sat, in a full-

76 PILKINGTON OF UGANDA.

length shirt — that ought to have been white, but it
wasn't — Mundara, the dreaded ruler, the ambitious
conqueror, whose evil fame reaches to the coast.
And another contrast : so polite he was, his words
* smoother than oil,' and yet he is the man who has
exterminated whole tribes ; has depopulated mountain
sides, killing many of the people, and selling the
rest into the miseries of slavery. This is human
nature as it is, before it knows Jesus, the Saviour of
the world.

Mr. Binns' words had a good effect ; the
attendance of twenty-one boys at the Mission
House showed that the king had withdrawn the
opposition to that extent, at least. He had been
under the impression that, the boys once taught,
we should want to carry them off to the coast.

Most interesting our ' safari ' was : the natives
were sometimes (as we were told), so superstitious
that, when our missionaries at Taita went up to the
top of the mountain for a walk, they were un-
pleasantly surprised by a crowd of angry men,
armed with bows and poisoned arrows, who insisted
that they had gone up there to make ' medicine '
to keep the rain off! The Missionaries' assurances
were at last believed, and they were allowed to start
homeward, followed, however, when they had gone
a little way, by a shower of arrows. On the other
hand, at Taveta, that Arcadian paradise as Thomson
calls it, in the heart of the forest, we found the
natives so friendly and interesting. Some of the
customs were so odd : beads and cloth are the
money of the country — but beads, which are greatly

A VISIT TO KILIMANJARO. 77

prized at Taveta, are just a shade too blue and a
trifle too large for the fashion at Chagga, where,
accordingly, they are valueless ! How I wish I had
had the skill to depict the features of the chief of
Matati, when Mr. Binns induced him to try his
bottle of smelling salts ! At this place, too, we
found a huge demand for common salt ; a few
spoonfuls would buy three fine sugar canes, each
ten feet long. In Duruma, nearer home, a man
asked us wh}' no missionary was among them ;
perhaps he only wished for the temporal advantages
\vhich come with the white man ; but the question
stands, why is it ? Because, if five times as many
men were at work here, they could find work to
spare in the stations already occupied.

A few days later we started back; we got drenched
for the first four days regularly, and had to sit
waiting once, foodless, fireless, in drenched and muddy
clothes, lying tired on the wet ground, under a sort
of improvised arbour to keep out the drizzle, for
two-and-a-half hours till the men came up, with
hyenas yowling round. A day or two later,
one of our boys walked with us all the way,
down with small-pox, covered with the rash ;
he has recovered, though one of Binns' boys
caught it and died here ten days ago. The last of
the four days on which we got drenched, sitting by
the fire, with the small-pox boy on the other side, I
reflected on what the Greeks called the ' irony of
fate,' that in my coat pocket on the same * safari '
should be a letter of Mother's beseeching me to
take care of my health j so I do, but — well, I

78 PILKINGTON OF UGANDA.

shan't describe our return in detail ; we reached
Rabai, after tremendously hard marching ; on the
way in, Edgar said to me, ' Have you heard the
news ? '

'What news?' said I. 'Mr. Cotter's dead.'
And so it was, two days before.

And so I have got here again — to be laid up ten
days with my foot, and then, just this day three
weeks ago, by fever ; and I've not been out yet — am
very weak, but the Doctor says it's all right ; can't
expect to get up one's strength at once after a sharp
attack of fever ; and to-morrow week, please God,
we shall start for Zanzibar on the way to Uganda,
the change will do me good.

June 19th.

We hear this morning that the ship from
Bombay, by which we expect to travel to Zanzibar,
will not be here till Friday or Saturday week,
which gives me two or three days extra to
mend in. I have just re-read my last mail and
proceed to answer one or two things. You know
that not only Hill, of Corpus, but three other men
whom we like very much, have come out ; they are
not Cambridge men. By the way, you say in one
letter that I belong to a superior race to the Africans;
do you know I doubt it ? Physically, much inferior,
except in appearance. I cannot notice that they
are intellectually inferior ; inferior in knowledge,
indeed, because this country provides them (as
the ancients said of the golden age) of itself
with all they feel the need of; they are, therefore,
indifferent to what we call progress, or the know-

A VISIT TO KILIMANJARO. 79

ledge of nature, and the turning her to our uses.

Glad to hear, Aunt B's interest in this most
interesting of countries. D's assertion, which
puzzled K, is most presumptuous. How can any
man say of a country, of which four-fifths, if not
nine-tenths, are utterly unknown, that there is this
or that ? The fringe on which his own eyes have

rested, he may partly know, but the rest

June 20th.

I was much stronger yesterday, and went out
for a ride on a donkey ; a splendid beast; to-day,
I feel stronger again. The rest have been terribly
busy packing loads, all to be made up to 70 lbs. ;
how would you like one on your head ?

By the bye, you will be glad to hear that to have
had a severe attack of fever— and mine was a very
severe one — is considered a good thing ; in fact, the
doctor told me to-day that he did not think it likely
I should ever have so bad an attack again.

June 2 1 St

Douglas was ordained the other day ; three of the
new men are to be to-morrow.

Monday, June 23rd.

The mail may be starting to-morrow, so this
letter goes in to be stamped to-night."

CHAPTER VI.

THE LONG MARCH.

"Ye have need of patience " is a maxim constantly
to be remembered by the African traveller. More
than five months had passed since our party left
England, and it was only after this long delay that
they were able to start on their long journey.

Pilkington describes the first stage of their journey
in the following letter : —

" Criterion Hotel,

Zanzibar
Wednesday, July gtli, 1890.

Here we are, started at last, I am glad to say. We
left Frere Town at 3 p.m., on Monday ; after a little
tossing about, and a night on deck (we travelled as
deck passengers), we got here at 10.30 a.m. yester-
day, and, since then, I have been resting, and hope to
do so till early to-morrow morning, when we are to
leave for Saadani, by H.M.S. ' Redbreast,' and
start, I expect, with Stokes next day. You'll under-
stand why I need resting, when I tell you all the
news. It has been wonderful how God has brought
us all (except one, and there are four in his place) to
the start. About a fortnight ago, I began to feel
something like myself; but Douglas and Mrs.

•0

THE LONG MARCH. 81

Hooper began to be ailing, Douglas with fever, and
Mrs. Hooper with overwork ; it would have greatly
increased the hardness of leaving ©ne another had
either been ill. Well, they both recovered before
the end of last week — worn out a good deal indeed
but neither ill. But with myself it is even more
striking; my foot is only now, two days before
starting, recovered ; it has been healed for a week or
so. Then my fever : I had a sharp attack last
Friday for twenty-four hours, then again, on Sunday
morning, my temperature was 105° ; I was three
times awfully sick, and felt as ill as I could be, and
I believed, as I lay in bed that morning, that the
steamer was to leave at 6 a.m. next morning. We
should have had to be up at four, and breakfast, and
get our personal luggage (I had still two-and-a-half
loads, 70 lbs. each, unpacked, and accounts to be
settled) on board in the dark. Was it possible, I
thought ? And the horrors of a steamer, too, with
the Monsoon dead against us, all night as deck
passengers. But it was all made quite right and
pleasant — pleasant surprises coming continually.

By the way, another horror I forgot, the passage,
and if I did reach Zanzibar alive, to Saadani by
dhow eight hours at least, and very likely becalmed
indefinitely halfway, there would have been no time
for rest here ; we might have gone on immediately
yesterday. Well, on Sunday at midday, I began to
improve ; then we heard the steamer was not to
start till 2 p.m. On Monday, I was a good deal
better and just managed my packing, etc. The
' Yuba ' and our deck quarters turned out infinitely

82 PILKINGTON OF UGANDA.

better than I had expected. I got better and was
not sick on board. The Bishop (who, expecting us
to follow in two days, came here a fortnight
ago) met us with the good news that the
Admiral, who is here on the ' Boadicea ' with
a fleet altogether of ten ships, and two trans-
ports expected, had promised to send us across
in the ' Redbreast,' a fast vessel, though not
a large one, whether strictly a man-of-war or a gun-
boat, I don't know ; this gives one-and-a-half days'
rest, and spares us the dhow journey, to God be the
thanks.

I'm quite well, but still weak ; anyhow, its all
right, we have been joined at the last moment by
Hunt, of the Company, a delightful fellow and,
perhaps, the Mombasa doctor. Dr. Edwards, who
was so good to us when ill, sending Douglas and
me his own milk, may come too. The Bishop
telegraphed yesterday, Emin Pasha has reached
Mpwapwa three weeks ago ; he has been fighting ;
of course, in the present state of things, without
Stokes we could'nt go."

" Saadani,

14th July, 1890.

Here still ! We had a delightful crossing in the
' Redbreast,' the Commanding Officer giving us his
own cabin, where we had breakfast. On arrival we
found the start put off until Monday (to day) ; now
it is off again till Wednesday ; Shall we really start
then ? Our first communication long ago with Stokes
made us expect to start nearly two months ago.

We are camped here in our tents by the sea;

THE LONG MARCH. 83

Stokes a hundred yards away (to hear him talk
Swahili, with an Irish brogue !), and his men in a
regular town half-a-mile off, but extending a mile or
more beyond that. My loads are all satisfactorily
made up, and have been accepted by the porters.
On Saturday morning, we had a trying time, finally
packing our loads, which the porters then inspected,
choosing each man one to suit him. Mine went
immediately, though each of two was ^Ib. or lib.
over the regulation weight — 7olbs. Besides this, the
poor men carry 35lbs. of cloth, their own pay, and
water and cooking pots for themselves ! The men are
very capricious about their loads — some shapes are
objectionable, so some of our men had difficulty in
getting their loads accepted. It was a trying time,
because the tents, too, had to be made into loads, so
shelter from the blazing sun was hard to get. But
none of us, I think, were an}' the worse. The same
evening we got our mails.

We have a Bible reading, every day after our mid-
day meal, each choosing and starting a subject by
turns."

" Sunday, August 3rd.

Two-thirds of the way to Mamboia, near the
Mbula Mountains.

At last, an opportunity of writing, or rather
starting, a letter ; perhaps it will go from Mamboia,
which we hope to reach in a week or so. To-day,
being Sunday, we rest as usual.

You have heard of Hill's death; he left Saadani
for the hospital at Zanzibar, early on Sunday
morning, and died that night. We started next

84 PILKINGTON OF UGANDA.

morning, so we did not hear of his death for a few
days.

Baskerville has had fever; temperature 105^ just
now. I wonder whether he will be able to go on
my donkey to-morrow ? I don't think he is as ill
as his temperature seems to make him. However,
his illness is too like Hill's not to make one feel that
there is danger.

Now about myself. I'm quite well, but still
weak. We have two donkeys, and I generally
ride half the march. We go an average of nine
miles a day, and I assure you I find half that plenty.
Isn't that a confession ? Then this is Africa.

Baskerville and I in one tent. Dunn and Dermott
in another, Smith and Hunt in a third, Douglas
in a small one, and the Bishop in a big one
by themselves. This is the way we travel.
We divide the work as follows: D. and D. (as
above), the canteens, packing and unpacking for
meals; B., the food boxes; Smith, filtering water ;
Hunt, making the tea; Myself, the cooking;
Douglas, everything. Stokes is a most pleasant
man and extremely kind to us.

We are getting among some fine mountains, but
hitherto there has been little striking in any way,
hardly any flowers, lions or beasts of beauty or
interest that I could see. My chief interest is
learning Kiganda. No one else has begun it. I
have really got on lately. I've been able to get
some of the main things of the grammar out of my
friend Noah, who seems to enjoy teaching me. We
walk together on the way, and sometimes I find an

THE LONG MARCH. 85

opportunity of establishing myself in a tent with
pen and ink and my old Harrow bank book (which
is being transformed into a Kiganda grammar)
while Noah crouches on the floor and is pumped as
to singulars and plurals, futures and perfects, though
I need hardly say, I don't put it that way. Indeed,
it has interested, though not surprised me to see
how utterly foreign and puzzling to N's ideas any
thought of grammar is. He has never given me a
rule ; he never generalizes. You would think that
any one — especially a very intelligent man like N.,
anxious to please me and teach me — would give me
some general formula for making the future, when
I ask him, say, ten verbs, in the form ' I shall go,'
' I shall send,' but no, he doesn't see what I'm
driving at a bit, but fills up my ' I shall see ' into
a complete sentence, which he urges me to write
down, assuring me that his words are 'very good.'

Then again, when I notice what seems an irregu-
larity, say in one of these futures as compared with
the others, and ask him why do you say so-and-so,
whereas in the rest you say so-and-so, why don't
you say this instead, he answers, ' Oh no,' its not
that, and repeats it as he said it before. If you urge
him for an explanation, he says it's words only,
' don't you see, of course it's this,' and repeats it as
if you were deaf, or very stupid.

I've got one or two tiny books with prayers and
the Commandments, and Bible texts, which are a
great help, but no grammar. Noah knows Swahili,
but no English.

The Germans sent us twice this week a leg of beei

86 PILKINGTON OF UGANDA.

or veal. Besides this beef, we buy chickens from
the natives, eggs sometimes, and we use tinned
meats when we can get nothing else.

We have for our first meal, oatmeal and Indian
meal porridge, tea or cocoa, hard biscuits and
butter (tinned), at 5.30 in the morning. Awful
scramble while beds, tents, or other loads are being,
or are to be, packed and sent off, everyone shouting
for something or someone, all in the dark, made
visible by one lantern. March before 6. In camp,
8, 9, 10. Food : — Chickens, rice, biscuits, native
beans, perhaps dried potatoes, jam, any native
vegetables ; we are looking forward to sweet pota-
toes (on Sundays, apple rings), at 4.30. Same with
soup (pea generally), at one or other meals."

" Mamboia, E. Africa,

Tuesday, August 12th.

We got here about nine o'clock yesterday morn-
ing, the day before, Sunday (our usual practice is not
to march on Sunday), we had a long march of six
hours, most of which I did on Stokes' donkey ; the
Bishop had hurried ahead a few days before to be
at Mamboia the longer, taking the larger of our two
donkeys. Baskerville, who is still weak from the
late fever, was riding the other. So, of late, I've
been borrowing S.'s donkey, for I'm not quite
myself yet ; though, on the whole, with occasional
relapses, I've been getting stronger ever since we
left the coast.

We stay here (a lovely place, of which more anon)
till Thursday or Friday. Messrs. Cole and Beverley

THE LONG MARCH. 87

and Price (of Kisokwe, first two men, and Mpwapwa)
are expected here to-morrow, for a conference with
the Bishop, who is not very well.

My last letter didn't enter into details of the
march as much as I intended, so here goes : — We
get up some at four, others a bit later, invalids per-
haps not till five ; then comes a scene, some washing
in the bucket or basin outside their tent (unless
they think that an evening wash is enough, for the
early mornings are very chilly, and the whole thing
is a rush), others calling for their boys to pack up
their camp-beds, that the tents may be pulled down,
which is sometimes done while, if late or lazy, one
is still inside. Douglas calling out that the man
for the load of buckets and basins has come, and
will everyone send the same at once to his tent.
Meanwhile, others are seeing to the food, porridges,
Indian and oatmeal, tea and biscuits. At last a
whistle is three times blown, and we assemble round
the cook's fire for Swahili prayers ; then the rush is
resumed, increased by the food being ready, as
everyone is anxious to get some and be off, if the
march is to be long and the sun likely to be hot
later on.

Then comes Dunn and Dermott's turn, who have
to pack the canteens from which we eat, and which
it is well to get off early, as we shall want them for
our next meal. Douglas stays last of all and sees
that the men take their loads, often carrying what is
left behind. More than twenty porters have died
since leaving Saadani, dysentery chiefly. Remember,
there are 2,200 odd.

88 PILKINGTON OF UGANDA.

Then comes the march. Quite cold at first, the
grass, perhaps, dewy. On past the porters, who
walk quite slowly with their loads of yolbs. for an
hour (the men have been so ill), two, three or four
hours, as the case may be. Some of our men go
ahead and choose a camp well in front of the rest.
Then the question is, when will this load or that
load come in? Is my tent in ? Have they brought
my bed in, or left it down among the other loads ?
How about the canteens and the food boxes ? Shall
we have anything to eat before twelve? (ii a.m.
is the hour we aim at.) Has the man we sent, two
hours ago — immediately on reaching the camp — to
buy chickens and eggs and sweet potatoes, come
back yet ? Have the boys drawn water yet, or have
the buckets not come in yet ? Here's my tent, but
has the man with the pegs come ? The sun's so
hot, and there's hardly any shade — where's my boy
with my water bottles ? etc., etc., etc.

At last, several tents are pitched, and in one of
them we get the table ready for food and have our
second meal. Then we have our Bible reading ;
then we read, rest, wash, etc., as we severally please.
Meanwhile food has again to be seen to. This
comes off at 4.30. Then Swahili prayers, which
Douglas and I take by turns. Then, after everything
which can be packed in the evening is done with, to
bed. It is an interesting and a novel way of life,
but it would be a stretch to call it a pleasant one,
and a pause in a house, as here, is a great relief and
a rest.

Now, about the place. Alamboia is a collection

THE LONG MARCH. 89

of villages, some of only a dozen beehive huts, lying
in a broad valley, among beautiful mountains, rising
not high above the valley, though 4,000 feet or so
above the sea. The hill-sides, too, are crowded with
villages. Wood, the C.M.S. man here, says you
can pass thirty-two villages in an hour's walk. The
valley is extensively cultivated — Indian corn, millet,
sweet potatoes, banana, and pine apples, etc. The
mission station is situated most beautifully, high
above the valley, 3,960 feet above sea level, com-
manding a grand view of it. It is built on a com-
paratively level slope. There are two houses, three
rooms in each, besides store rooms (the Roscoes,
whom C. and S. met at Cambridge, were here.)
Below the house is a garden, where, beside native
things, English flowers and vegetables are grown.
It is wonderful to see the geraniums and petunias in
full bloom in Africa (it is so cold here) ; carrots, too,
and potatoes. A church is being built — stone walls ;
for mortar, the ordinary earth, which is better than
our mortar, for it has all been worked by white ants ;
walls three feet thick. It is paid for by Wood
himself and the natives, who give either in kind or
in labour. We had service there this morning;
thirty natives or so present. They speak a language
which is called Kimegi, which bears resemblance to
both Kiswahili and Kiganda.

This is a splendidly healthy place and we hope to
gather health and strength here. I wish I could
tell of anything encouraging in our work. The
Lord is with us, and to Him all power is given in
Heaven and in earth, even in Africa. Pray that

90 PILKINGTON OF UGANDA.

this power may be shewn, and that nothing in us
may hinder it."

" Kisokwe (six miles beyond Mpwapwa), E. Africa,

Friday, 22nd August, 1890.

Here we are at Kisokwe, rather over two hundred
miles from the coast, not quite so far as Chagga,
from which we came back in ten days, and yet on
Monday, when we expect to start again, it will be
five weeks since leaving the coast. We arrived
early yesterday, 7.15 a.m., from Mpwapwa. Here I
was met by Mwaka or Andreya (Christian baptismal
name) the boy who taught me on the steamer. He
came running to meet me. I gave him some
chocolate, and hope to give him a piece of cloth
before I go. He has been preaching to the people
since he came back. His mother comes each
Saturday to the Mission to be taught ; this means
a walk of three hours over the hills with a child on
her back. She goes back on Mondays. This is
the most encouraging thing I have heard or seen
in Africa. I hope and believe we may say in both
cases, ' This hath God done.'

You will have heard what is at present uncertain
news about Uganda. The Germans, in the fort at
Mpwapwa, have received news that the English
Company's expedition to the lake (we know they
are five hundred rifles strong, and are even now
followed by probably a second party eight hundred
strong) have combined with the Protestants in
Uganda, and ousted Mwanga and put Kalema, the
x^rab nominee, upon the throne. Likely enough,

THE LONG MARCH. 91

too, if the jealousy between the Roman Catholic
chiefs and the Protestants comes to a head. We
heard of the growing jealously in Zanzibar, but
why Kalema ? Surely the Arabs are not in league
with the English Company ! Was it in default of
any other of the blood royal, or has he turned
Protestant (I don't say Christian) on the chance of
a crown ? Had Mwanga favoured the Roman
Catholics or even taken to Protestant persecution
again ? Or is it all a lie ? I daresay we shall all
know when you read this letter.

By the way, I'll say here that I've not ridden a
donkey since Mamboia and am strong and well ;
Baskerville is still rather feeble. The house at
Mpwapwa was burnt down by the Arabs ; all agree
that it was a very good thing ; the house was so
grand as to be a hindrance to the work. Mpwapwa
is a very populous place. Lately, Price, the
Missionary there, has been encouraged by the
increased numbers coming. Here they have three
hundred in church on Sunday and seventy every
day. Kigogo is the language here. Cole, the
Missionary, was nearly killed by a buffalo not so
long ago.

We have come through some magnificent valleys
— some of them populous enough; the country, from
Mamboia as far as this, is the mountain region of
Usagara. On Monday, we start into a comparatively
flat though elevated country. Just beyond
Mamboia is the pass of Rutako, 4,700 feet higher
than Ben Nevis. You ought to look all these out
in the C.M.S. Atlas."

92 PILKINGTON OF UGANDA.

" Sunday, 24th August, 2 p.m., Kisokwe.
We had a confirmation this morning. Fourteen
from Mpwapwa, and I think twelve from Kisokwe
some big men, rough and wild looking. Thre6
hundred natives or so were present. Our visit here
has been encouraging."

After leaving Kisokwe, the roughest part of the
journey began, and is graphically described by
Bishop Tucker in a letter from Unyanguira, about
one hundred and twenty miles beyond Kisokwe.

The Bishop writes as follows : —

" Unyanguira, E.E. Africa,

September 6th, 1890.

As you will see from the above address, we are
getting on. We are now, I suppose, within six
weeks of the Victoria Nyanza. Our progress has
been slow, but not the less sure on that account. I
believe Africa is one of those countries in which it is
essentially true that it is the pace that kills. The
tortoise very frequently wins the race here.

The solemn services of Sunday, August 24th, over
— that is to say, the ordination of Messrs. Cole and
Wood, and the confirmation of thirty candidates —
we prepared for an early departure on Monday, 25th.
We left Kisokwe at 6.30 a.m. Mr. Cole accom-
panied us as far as our first camping ground. We
there bade him an affectionate farewell, and, as a
party, were once more alone.

To get water entailed a journey of three hours,
and, when obtained, it was found to be distinctly
brackish in flavour. The night spent at this spot we

THE LONG MARCH. 93

shall hot easily forget. It was an open, sandy plain,
across which the wind rushed with unobstructed
force. Our tents, happily, had been pitched in good
time, so that, when the wind arose, we had some
shelter, however precarious. Every moment we
expected our tents to be blown away. Not one of
us got a wink of sleep that night. As we were to
make a long march through a porri or waterless
desert the next day, it had been arranged to start at
3.30 a.m., so, at two o'clock, I gave the signal to
prepare for the march. The wind, a few minutes
later, dropped in a very remarkable way. We were
thus enabled to pack, and prepare breakfast in
comfort. Most providentially, the day proved to be
cloudy, so the march was robbed of half its horrors.
None but those who have experienced it can under-
stand what it is to have a burning sun beating down
from above, and scorching heat rising from the
burning ground or sand at the same moment. This,
happily, we were spared in going through this
porri. We marched for six hours, and then
halted to prepare some food with the water from our
water-bottles. After an hour's rest, we resumed our
journey, and, in a couple of hours, reached our
camping-ground ; but here again, alas ! the water
was brackish. Still, we had to drink it, and were
very thankful for it. It is wonderful the things you
take kindly to when there is no other alternative.
During the last two months, I have swallowed more
mud in water than in all my life previously. And
not only swallowed it, but swallowed it thankfully.
Another day of brackish water had to be endured,

94 PILKINGTON OF UGANDA.

and then we started on another long march through
another waterless tract of country. We were now in
Ugogo — which is indeed a weary land — a land which
seems stricken with a curse — even the forests are
leafless and bare. Here and there, out of the sandy
plain, rises a conical hill, 200 or 300 feet high — ■
whether volcanic in its origin, I cannot tell — proba-
bly the ants have had something to do with the work
of raising them. About these hills, a few huge
boulders have been tumbled. How grateful their
shade — ' the shadow of a mighty rock within a
weary land.' Of a truth, with the exception of
these few hills and rocks, the countr}^ is a sandy
waste. The inhabitants of the few villages we came
across have to dig for water in the earth. Some of
these holes are thirty feet deep. These holes are
our only hope of water. You can imagine how
eagerly we look down into their depths. This second
long march in this waterless district was distinctly
more trying than the first. Still we held upon our
way, upborne with hope of fresh and sweet water.
This, happily, we found as we halted at Mizanza.

Here we spent two days, in order to bring up the
rear. Our rear was in a considerable state of excite-
ment ; a straggler had been speared by the Wagogo,
and his load taken from him. The surgical skill of
Messrs. Dermott and Dunn was again put to the
test. Of course he had been speared in the back.
The wound was a bad one, but still not fatal. The
best was done for him, and he is now, I am glad to
say, all right again. This incident was a disagreeable
reminder that we are now in a country in many

THE LONG MARCH. y5

respects hostile. The Wagcgo are great thieves and
bullies. We have just received the startling news
that they have almost utterly destroyed an Arab
caravan of 500 porters — within a few miles of where
we now are^ — men, women, and children, all
massacred. Two or three of our own mail-men have
also been murdered. This very serious business will
probably delay us a few days, as the German com-
mander is going to punish the chiefs of the tribes
implicated. This will probably mean burning
villages and hanging one or two of the chiefs. Oh,
when will this country — this land of misery, and sin,
and death, emerge out of its utter darkness ? Truly,
to pass through is oppressive to the spirit in the
highest degree. Owing to the state of the country,
the German commander has intimated to me that
he will not be responsible for my safety (not that I
regard him as in any sense responsible), if I do not
keep nearer the main body on the march. Usually,
I am in the habit of going ahead with our fastest
donkey, so as to be in a position to choose the most
favourable site for our camp, when the kiongozi — or
leader — has indicated the spot where water is to be
found. Of course, when a large number of Natives
are travelling together, this is a most important
matter. I generally try to get to windward of their
camp. I suppose now I shall have to be a little
more careful. Yesterday, for the first time, I made
the acquaintance of zebra-steaks. We passed a large
herd of zebras whilst on the march, and one of the
Germans managed to shoot one at long range ; this
was brought into camp later in the day, and the

96 PILKINGTON OF UGANDA.

successful marksman very kindly sent us a joint.
We found it very good — quite an acceptable change
in our diet."

"September 9th, 1890.

The air for the last few days has been full of war
and rumours of war. Saturday night was a night
to be remembered. After we had pitched our tents
near Unyanguira, and were preparing for our meal,
we were startled by hearing that two German
soldiers had been murdered at a village hard by,
whither they had gone with cloth to buy food.

Some time previously — that is, almost at the time
of our arrival here — I informed the German officer,
Lieutenant Siegel, that I had seen a number of
Wagogo marching off from a neighbouring tembe
(or village) with shields and spears, apparently in
military order. He seemed to attach no great im-
portance to this fact. To my mind, it seemed an
indication of the state of the country around. After
events proved the correctness of my surmise. The
moment the news arrived of the murder, Lieutenant
Siegel called his men together and marched off to
endeavour to bring in the dead bodies, with the
arms and ammunition with which the men left the
camp. In about an hour's time he returned, bring-
ing in one dead man — the other body he was unable
to recover. One of the men died very nobly. When
he left the camp, he received strict orders that on no
account was he to fire on the natives. When he
approached the village, he held his gun in his left
hand and his cloth in the right. He said, ' I have

THE LONG MARCH. 97

come to buy food.' The natives threatened him
with their spears. He answered, ' I am not going
to fight with you. My orders are to buy food, and
not to shoot. You can kill me if you like,' and held
out his arms. Immediately the spears were plunged
into his body in half-a-dozen places, and he fell, in
obeying orders, as nobly, it seems to me, as ever any
soldier fell in battle. The other poor fellow had no
rifle ; he immediately took to flight and endeavoured
to escape. He was pursued for half an hour through
the porri by these Wagogo bloodhounds, and fell,
pinned by a dozen spears. The Lieutenant also
informed us that the country was swarming with
men in arms, and that evidently they meant
fighting ; that, in all probability, an attack would be
made upon us some time during the night. We at
once set about making as good a disposition of our
men and loads as possible. At the moment, they
were actually in as bad a position as they could be
— scattered about in little camps over a wide plain.
Word to concentrate was sent round, and soon we
had the Wanj'arawezi camped all around us. Our
force was, unfortunately, divided ; Mr. Stokes, with
several hundred men, was some miles in the rear. Mes-
sengers were sent ofl" to him with information as to the
serious state of affairs. (We afterwards learned that
these runners did not leave the camp until five hours
after they had been ordered to leave). The German
officer in command had only seventeen soldiers now
left. It is true they were armed with breechloaders,
but it was a force altogether insufficient to deal with
the mass of men which filled the country in front.
H

98 PILKINGTON OF UGANDA.

Our trust was in the Lord God Omnipotent. We
placed men to watch during the night, and com-
mitted ourselves into the hands of our Keeper — the
Keeper of Israel — who neither slumbereth nor
sleepeth. I could not help being struck with the
evening portion of * Daily Light,' which I read as I
turned into my tent: 'Watchman, what of the
night ? ' I slept from nine till four in the morning,
and then rose. The Lieutenant was of opinion that
if an attack came, it would be about half an hour
before sunrise, that is to say, at about half-past
five a.m. We were on the alert, but, happily, no
attack came, and, as the sun rose above the level of
the plain, we felt that we, through the goodness of
God, had escaped a great danger. Of course, you
know that we missionaries, as a party, are entirely
unarmed. There is no doubt at all that, had the
Wagogo chosen to attack us during the night, they
could easily have massacred the whole lot of us —
even had we been armed. I do not regret in the
very least coming without arms. We should not
have used them, and they would only have been a
temptation to the men and boys.

A little after eight o'clock, on Sunday morning,
Mr. Stokes arrived, and I felt at once that, humanly
speaking, things would be arranged. He is a man
of great influence with the natives — a man who
keeps his word with them, and who has never done
an unkind action with regard to them. Besides all
which, he has travelled up and down and through
this country for years. He at on':e sent out men to
try to get hold of a native through whom communi-

THE LONG MARCH. 99

cation could be opened up and the matter arranged.
In this they were successful, and, in an hour or two,
words were spoken between the parties. The chief
of the country disavows the action of his people.
The men, he says, were killed contrary to his orders.
This disavowal is most satisfactory, as it puts a
different complexion upon the matter. The death
of these men was therefore murder, and not an act
of war. Mr. Stokes thereupon demanded that the
murderers be given up for punishment. Whether
this will be done or not it is impossible to say. I
cannot help feeling, myself, that the chief is merely
excusing himself and trying to put the best possible
aspect upon the matter. There is no doubt in my
mind that the Wagogo would destroy us if they
could as completely as they have destroyed the
Arab caravan. What they fear is the presence of
many white men. When they came into camp, they
said. What can we do against lOO Muzungu, or
white men ? (We are only fourteen).

A letter has just arrived from Dr. Wolfendale,
who is some miles away, stating that he is in
difficulties, and asking for assistance. Dr. Wolfen-
dale, you will remember, is a brother of Mr.
Wolfendale, the Congregational minister in Durham.
He has come out in connection with the L.M.S.,
and is travelling with a caravan of his own, and is
bound for Urambo. It seems that a Wagogo chief
has stopped or barred his passage until he has paid
heavy hongo. He hears, moreover, that there is
another chief, a little way in advance, who is waiting
to make a still heavier demand upon him, and so he

100 PILKINGTON OF UGANDA.

has written asking if we can help him out of his
difficuhies. This we are very glad to be in a
position to do. We have sent off armed men, who
will, in a few hours, we trust, bring him on here, and
then we shall travel on together until we get out of
Ugogo. Dr. Wolfendale's kind attention to poor
Hill, who died at Zanzibar, I shall never forget, and
I am only too thankful to be in a position — in some
degree — to requite that kindness. Dr. Wolfendale
in his note says that so far he has had a pleasant
and prosperous journey. We expect him to arrive
at about four or five p.m. I trust there will be no
fighting in getting him here. I do not anticipate it."

Later.

** Dr. Wolfendale and his caravan have just come
into camp, escorted by the German soldiers sent by
Mr. Stokes for his rescue out of the dangerous
position he was undoubtedly in. Lieut. Siegel
thinks that, without question, he has escaped a
great danger. The country is simply swarming
with armed Wagogo. A single act of imprudence
will be like throwing a firebrand into a powder
magazine. May God give patience and wisdom to
those who are concerned in the arrangement of this
matter ! "

" September loth, 1890.

**I am thankful to say that all danger of a collision
with the Wagogo seems now to be over. The chief
has sent in the murdered man's rifle and amm.uni-
tion, but declares his inability to produce the
murderers, as they have fled out of his country.

THE LONG MARCH. 101

He ts willing, however, to pay the blood-money in
ivory and cattle. He says he has no cause of war
with us, and desires peace for himself and people.
I believe, myself, that he simply fears our strength,
and that, had we been a small caravan, he would
have smashed us up without mercy. However,
* all's well that ends well.' We shall probably
take him at his word and go on our way. Mr.
Stokes will probably leave the Germans at
Mpwapwa, on the coast, to call the Wagogo to
account for the destruction of the Arab caravan.
I am thankful to be able to report the safe arrival
of our mail men at Usongo. They escaped the
massacre, and are now, in all probability, at
Usambiro."

"September nth, 189a

We left our camp in front of Unyanguira this
morning, and a two hours' march brought us to an
abundance of water and food. We shall evidently
get through Ugogo without any attack by the
natives. They seem thoroughly to respect our
strength. An Arab caravan, bound for the coast,
has just come in, and I must send this and other
letters by it, so must close. We are all in good
health and full of hope, greatly cheered by our near
approach to a country more hospitable than Ugogo.
The Master has indeed been with us, guiding,
keeping, strengthening, and comforting us at all
times. All being well, we hope to be in Uganda
before this letter reaches you. We expect to reach
Usongo about the end of September, and to be at

102 PILKINGTON OF UGANDA.

Usambiro about October 21st. But we are in the
Lord's hands, and can calculate on nothing ; content
to live a day at a time."

On October 3rd, 1890, Pilkington continues,
writing from Byaba, 12 miles South of Usongo : —

" Here is another chance (sooner than we expected)
of writing. Mail men have just arrived from the
Lake ; they go on to-morrow. I was not expecting
to have an opportunity of writing till we had reached
Usongo, so you must excuse a scanty letter. Usongo
is Stokes' village; the chief, Mtumginya, is his
ardent friend and supporter. We hope to get there
at 8 a.m. to-morrow, after a four hours' march
through a * porri,' or scrubby forest (nothing but
scrubby little trees, fairly close together, nothing
grand), these ' porris ' are uninhabited tracts, in
fact, where there is a village, a clearing is made for
cultivation ; uninhabited, I should say, but for
robbers, who catch stragglers with loads of cloth
and kill or disable them. We got through the
' Mgunda Mkali ' at last ; we had a two days' halt
on the verge, owing to difficulties with our
Wasukuma porters, which made it especially trying
to the men, whose cloth, for food, had to last all the
same. My cookery has, of late, been greatly helped
by quantities of native butter and honey. I have
just borrowed, to my great joy, a Kiganda Grammar
in French, by a Priest, from one of the German
party, a Dane ; it will be a great help and most
interesting, after I have tried to make things out for
so long without such help.

THE LONG MARCH. 103

Have just come back from packing my bucket, or
rather arranging for packing in the morning — getting
out loads and stowing in tins, native meal, rice, milk,
honey, butter, pea-flour, etc., etc — not quite all these
to-night. We shall be called about 2.30 a.m. to-
morrow— the loads will go off to-night now that I
have done with them. I am writing, through the
Bishop's kindness, in his tent, and on his materials.

You will have heard, by telegram perhaps, a
month before this reaches you, the news of general
interest which goes by this mail, the various
incidents in Uganda; Emin Pasha, just beyond
Usongo, unable to proceed because of war in
Usukuma — we are thankful to hear that now this
is at an end ; the death of four French Priests.
Anyhow, the upshot of all this, as far as w^e are
concerned, is this ; that we hope and believe at the
present moment we shall be able now to go right on
into Uganda without delay, except four days or so
at Usongo to settle about the carriage of forty or
fifty C.M.S. loads (left there long ago) to Usambiro
(the C.M.S. station at the South of the Lake,
where Deekes and Walker, of the C.M.S., and
Gedge, of the British Company, are at present
trying to buy from the Arabs), and such further
delay at the latter place as may be thought desirable,
or may be necessary, for preparing the boat or boats
to convey us and our effects. ^ The C.M.S. boat was
soon to go back with Gedge ; it will now, no doubt,
wait if possible for us, as they ought to have
received the Bishop's letter from Mamboia some
days ago, just after the departure of their mail men,

104 PILKINGTON OF UGANDA.

who arrived here to-day, having passed our mail
men a few days only from Usambiro.

We are now in a land of plenty, such a relief
after Ugogo. Usongo is a goal we have long
looked forward to. Our rest there will give an
opportunity, much needed, of washing and mending
our clothes, our bodies and other effects, e.g., my
camp bed, which is rather out at elbows. We
are all quite well and strong, and so we can see a
great deal for which to praise God, not that this is
not always * comely for the righteous,' * it becometh
well the just (ified) to be thankful.' We have long
hoped in vain for letters : there'll be the more when
they do come. We got our last at Mamboia.

Douglas has just come for letters, and for buckets,
the porter whereof wants to do them up for an early
start ; nobody knows where they all are — I chiefly
use them for the kitchen — so I have promised to
hunt them up, and, as it is pitch dark, I had better
set to at once, as it is now 7.10 p.m., and we are to
get up at 2.30, and lots of other things are to be
done."

"Nera (two days from Usambiro),

Saturday, October i8th, 1890.

We expect to start on Monday from here, and
to reach Usambiro early on Wednesday. The
C. M. S. boat, we heard yesterday, started, a
fortnight ago, for Uganda, with Walker. The
Bishop will be greatly vexed at this, for it
means our stopping at least a month at this end of
the lake. Two men of our party are going to stay

THE LONG MARCH. 105

at Nassa with Deekes for the present, and Usambiro
will be given up ; this is not certain, but only very
probable. Nassa is four days from Usambiro to the
West, on the Lake, Hooper's old station, very good
for the work, except for a cantankerous chief. We
had a note from Emin Pasha yesterday, asking for
letters to be forwarded ; he is four or five days from
here.

We are all, I am thankful to say, perfectly well.
We arrived here, after some hard days, very tired ;
so the rest is very acceptable though tantalizing,
when so near the end, but unavoidable, as this is
the home of most of our Wasukuma porters, and they
have nearly all run off and left their loads, declaring
they only agreed to carry them as far as this.

We have lately had lots (well, comparatively
speaking) of milk, much of it sour, which we all,
myself not least, appreciate very much.

This is a very populous country — people very
friendly — I should think as populous as a great part
of the country in England. We are stopping a mile
or so from the Capital, where the chief lives, at the
village of a Mwanangwa (or village chief), who has
been with us from the coast. We killed a bull
yesterday, given us by a chief some way back, so
the cooking department is busy, and boys and all
are in clover. How pleasant the prospect of reach-
ing a station is, I can't express, except by asking
you to imagine reaching Dublin or Kingstown by
steamer after a stormy crossing : — No more cooking,
no more marching, no more resting (?) in a broiling
tent I

106 PILKINGTON OF UGANDA.

At Usongo, where Stokes had a place of his own
built for him by the chief, we found among a lot of
C. M. S. property stored, most of which is to
follow us, a Kiganda grammar in English, a very
poor one, still a great treasure, and a cookery book !
both of which were presented to me. I succeeded
in making a very good sweet omelette the other day,
but good eggs are scarce ; out of 38, the other day,
less than ten were eatable. They were a present ;
I weigh them in water before buying. Yesterday
and to-day I tried and rejected 20, I daresay.

No mail from the coast yet.

It has been decided to send mail men to Stokes
to get our loads taken on from here ; we shall go on,
we hope, with a few of our personal things.

We also got a French Kiganda grammar at
Usongo ; it is a far better one than the English ;
it was published three years later.

Did I tell you that the Latin word ' mensa,'

* table,' has passed through Portuguese into
Swahili in the form of ' meza,' and thence by a
reverse process into Kiganda, as ' menza ' ? I am
afraid I shall find it hard not to go on with

* menzam, menzse, &c., &c.' "

Two days later the party arrived at Usambiro,
and thus came to the end of the long march from
the coast.

A member of that party. Rev. F. C. Smith, gives
some interesting reminiscences of this journey. He
says that Pilkington was specially noted for the
keenness with which he would urge the claims of

THE LONG MARCH. 107

his favourite hobbies, whether it were superfatted
soap, or Jaeger boots, or, it might be, his methods of
language study.

When he got hold of a man who would help him
in his language, he almost made his life a burden to
him, and it is said that some of the Baganda, on the
way up, shunned him if they thought they were
going to be catechised.

He was always great on controversy, or on the
solving of problems. Bishop Tucker once set a
problem on political economy which Pilkington
would not leave till he had solved.

He strongly contended with his fellow Missionaries
that the worth of a thing was the amount that it
would fetch at a particular place.

" Usambiro, E.E. Africa,

Saturday, November ist, 1890.
We got here ten days ago : Wednesday, the
22nd. Douglas arrived the evening before, by an
afternoon march ; the Bishop and Dermott on the
Saturday mid-day, having gone ahead from Nera.
On Thursday, i.e., the next day, the Bishop and
Hooper and Deekes went on to Nassa, to see
about re-establishing a station there. This place
is to be given up as a Missionary Station, and
Deekes and Dermott are to go to Nassa. They
left me with the five other men in temporary char^-e
of this place, where there are about twenty boys
and eight girls on the station; most of them,
including two dwarfs, left here by Stanley. They
had been seized by his men during the wars in the

108 PILKINGTON OF UGANDA.

interior, and were redeemed from them by Mackay.
Seeing after them and our own boys, and the
household arrangements, as well as school in the
afternoon — besides trying to buy a good supply of
meal, rice, honey, etc., to support us here and to
carry on to Uganda (where the late disturbances
have caused great scarcity) — makes me busy.
Besides, I want to do Luganda and read all day,
what seems, after Safari, the endless wealth of books
that we find here. I sleep at night on a bed made
by Mackay, on which both he and Bishop Parker
died. The graves of these two and Blackburn (who
formed three of the party of six who were here
when Hooper was last at Usambiro), are within a
stone's throw almost.

The reading sheets we use, each afternoon, were
printed — at least the large letters — with wooden
type cut by Mackay with his knife. We have this
type in the printing office.

The C.M.S. boat, as I think I told you, has gone
on to Uganda. Stokes' boat we expect here any
day, but how many of us will be able to travel by
her we don't know yet. The Bishop and the two
others may be back in three or four days, now. By
the way, I had a' day-and-a-half's fever soon after
we got here (temp. 103^) but not much, and it is
gone now."

Here, two subjects dealt with in this letter may
be mentioned, showing that, although deeply
occupied with his own Mission work, he kept up a
deep interest in the spheres in which he had worked,

THE LONG MARCH. 109

and especially in Harrow, and also in other Mission
Fields.

"My letter's in The Harrovian] It tickles my
foolish pride to know it, and it is pleasant not to be
forgotten. There are so many at Harrow of whom
I think continually, that it is only fair that they
should have been reminded of me. It was interesting
seeing the pictures of Harrow in The Illustrated,
which has just arrived.

I have just written a note to Mr. Broomhall, in
which I promise him ^^'lo for the work in China,
which he says is to help ' an attempt to evangelise,
in the course of the next ten years, the whole of
China.' To give ^^lo for such a purpose looks
almost like a joke, but every little helps, and it will
be accepted according to what I have, not what I
have not."

"Sunday, nth.

More than a fortnight since I began this, and
much has happened. I have not written because,
during that time I have had two more attacks
of fever (Temperature 105° and 104°), both
short and not serious. But I have sad news :
another of our company has been taken to rest.
Hunt, who joined us at the coast, having been in
the service of the Company, died on Friday, after
six days' illness, of fever, and finally we thought we
saw symptoms of typhoid. We buried him that
evening. I was asked by the others, Deekes — who
had returned from Nassa — and our men, to read the
service in English. He was buried beside Mackay,
near Parker and Blackburn, That,. evening, the

110 PILKINGTON OF UGANDA.

Bishop and Hooper came back ; the Bishop not ye
well from two attacks of fever he has had at Nassa
Hooper had had fever too. Deekes had come bact
a week before. Dunn has had fever twice here, and
is seriously ill still. Baskerville is just recovering.
Myself, three times ; everyone of our coast boys too.
The latter we have sent back to the coast now, and
very glad they are gone. Coast men and boys are
the worst in all Africa, they combine the vices of
European and Arabian civilisation with those of
Africa.

We have divided up the boys here among our-
selves, each man undertaking to provide for his
three or four, and to take complete care of them.
In fact, we adopt them, as they have no relations
or other friends for such time, at least, as we shall be
in the country. I've got three intelligent and very
willing boys, Nasitu, who came with Stanley (say
14 years), Matruki, about the same age, and Kitera,
12 years. I expect I shall now have one of Hunt's.

We expect the boat every day. I'm particularly
well now ; these touches of fever for two or three
days are totally different from what I had at the
coast. I'm thankful for that now, both because I
probably escaped thereby having a bad attack on
the road, or here without a doctor, and other things,
and also without the experience of myself which I
have now. We had Communion this morning at
7 a.m."

"21st November.

More sad news. I told you Dunn was ill.
He died last night very quietly. I've had two

THE LONG MARCH. Ill

more quite slight attacks of fever ; they are
good things, as taking the place of a heavy
attack. Hunt had been in Africa a year without a
day's illness. His first attack carried him off in six
days. Dunn had merely a touch of fever two or
three days before, and then, in a week, he is taken.
Most thankful I am that my first and serious
attack was at the coast. We hope to be off soon
for Uganda."

At last, after six weeks delay fraught with such
terrible disaster to the party, the long-looked for
boat arrived. Mr. Smith tells us that, when the
natives sighted the boat, they called out in Luganda
which Pilkington was the first to understand, and
danced about in glee at having been the first to bear
the good news.

** Usambiro,

Tuesday, December 2nd, 1890.
I am thankful to say the boat arrived a few days
ago, and we hope to start on Thursday. We shall be
glad indeed to get out of this poisonous place ; I've
had my sixth dose of fever since I came here, and
am seedy now. Baskerville was ordained deacon
and Hooper and Dermott priests, yesterday."

"Christmas Eve, 1890.
On the boat among the Sesse islands, Victoria
Nyanza. Within a day or two of Uganda (or
rather Mengo, the Capital) we have met canoes
on their way to bring up the rest of our loads —
so I write a line. We have had, on the whole, a

112 PILKINGTON OF UGANDA.

pleasant voyage. I've had fever four times, but
am particularly well. We shall miss Christmas
in Uganda; I'm to try w^ith bananas, Mtama
flour, &c., to make a pudding for Christmas. On
Sunday, I spoke, through Noah, and a little on
my ovv^n account, to twelve Waganda in the morning
and fifty in the evening, sitting outside my tent.
I've also spoken to little knots on islands and main-
land since we reached the Uganda country.
Captain Lugard has reached Uganda, so the place
will soon be settled."

So he thought, but the settlement was not to
come so soon as he expected.

UGANDA & NEIGHBOURING DISTRICTS

5«*U <t StoiM* lUci

CHAPTER VII.

UGANDA AT LAST.

On the threshold of Uganda, it may be well to
pause for a moment in order to remind ourselves of
some of the events v^hich had taken place since
Missionaries of the Church Missionary Society first
entered on work in this great district of Central
Africa, and also to gain an idea of the meaning
of some of the terms which will be used in this and
succeeding chapters.

It was in November, 1875, that Stanley's mem-
orable letter to the Daily Telegraph appeared,
telling of King Mtesa's willingness to receive
teachers, which led to the sending forth of the first
band of Missionaries. Since that time, in spite of
disease and death, and in spite of the fickleness of
Mtesa, the work was maintained.

Mwanga succeeded his father in October, 1884,
and then indeed, a reign of terror began.
Persecution tried to the utmost the early Baganda
converts, some of whom were tortured and burnt
to death ; then followed the murder of Bishop
Hannington, the excuse for which was that the
bishop had approached Uganda from an unlucky
side. Still, Mackay and Ashe kept the field, the
I us

114 PILKINGTON OF UGANDA.

former for a considerable time alone. Gordon and
Walker took his place in the summer of 1887,
Mackay retiring to the south end of the Lake. The
following year they were obliged to leave Uganda
owing to a revolution in which Mwanga was driven
from the country.

He was, however, re-instated at the end of iSSg,
and Gordon and Walker returned with him.

Meanwhile Mackay, who had been a member of
the first Missionary party and had never left Africa,
died at Usambiro on February 8th, 1890, at which
place Bishop Parker had also died. Mr. Jackson had
entered Uganda as a representative of the British
East Africa Company, followed a little later by
Captain Lugard. Such was the condition of affairs
when Bishop Tucker and his party arrived. It may
not be out of place to explain here that the term
Uganda is a word used by English travellers and
others as a name for the country to the north of the
Victoria Nyanza, which is known by the natives as
Buganda. Still, the name Uganda is so familiar to
English readers that its use is justifiable. The
inhabitants of Buganda are known as Baganda, or,
as it is in Swahili, Waganda; a single native of
Buganda is known as a Muganda, whilst the
language is termed Luganda, or, as the Swahili
have it, Kiganda.

The Victoria Nyanza is the largest of the chain of
lakes which extends in a broken line from the Nile
Valley to the Zambesi. Its area is rather greater
than that of Scotland, so that it may almost be called
an inland sea.

UGANDA AT LAST. 115

Reference to the map of the entire lake will give
the best idea of the position of Uganda, and it will
be noticed that there are a large number of islands
in its immediate vicinity, and closely identified with
it in politics and religion. The land is said to
consist of a succession of hills and hollows, and the
soil is exceedingly fertile, so that the hillsides are, in
many cases, covered with rich groves of plantains
and bananas.

The climate is an unusually healthy one for
Africa, and, when the railway is completed, it is
hoped that the risks to health may be still further
diminished; as the trying journey from the coast,
through belts of the most malarious country, has
been responsible for much of the sickness and death
of members of the Uganda Mission.

The most interesting geographical boundary of
Uganda is the River Nile, on the east, which flows
out of the Victoria Nyanza over the magnificent
Ripon Falls.

The appearance of the country has been changed
by the laying out of roads in the neighbourhood of
the capital. In other parts, there are only the
ordinary African paths.

The capital of Buganda is generally known as
Mengo, though that word is more accurately applied
to the hill on which the king's residence is
situated, which is only one of about thirteen hills of
which the capital is composed. The best known of
the other hills are Namirembe, the centre of the
C. M. S. Mission ; Rubaga, of the Roman Catholic
Mission ; Kampala, at that time the head-quarters

116

PILKINGTON OP UGANDA.

of the representatives of the British East Africa
Company ; and Natete, where the Mohammedan
chiefs have settled.

With this short preface, and with the aid of the
maps and plans which illustrate these points, we
may pick up our travellers where we left them pre-

Map of Uganda and surrounding districts.

paring for a voyage across the great inland sea of
Central Africa.

Of this, Pilkington writes : " We coasted round
the lake in a small sailing and rowing boat of the
Mission, camping in our tents at night, or. indee o-

UGANDA AT LAST. 117

owing to head winds, by day and sailing by moon-
light. We had to leave most of our things behind
pro tern., and still with three loads, five Europeans,
men, boys, and sailors, we were all squashed like
sardines in a box."

The voyage was not without incident, and here
we may quote the story told by Bishop Tucker.
He says : —

" We were sailing with a fair wind, but there
were signs of a coming storm. The thunder was
behind us, and dark clouds were crowding up ; the
water was becoming disturbed. The boatmen
thought it a good thing to spread the awning— a
most dangerous thing to do under the circumstances.
The main-sail, instead of being held loosely in the
hand, was tied to the side of the boat. Hooper
shouted, ' Loose the sheet ! ' but before the words
were out of his mouth, the storm struck us. The
boat heeled over in such a manner that it seemed
utterly impossible she could right herself again;
but just at that moment, most providentially, the
sail gave way, it split, and we were saved. Had it
not done so, it is almost a matter of absolute cer-
tainty we should all have gone down like a stone."

Continuing his story the Bishop remarks : —

"After paying a visit to Emin Pasha on the
western shore, we approached the confines of the
country of Uganda, and it was truly wonderful the
evidence we saw, from day to day as we camped,
of the intense desire of the people for Christian
instruction. Within a few minutes of our landing,
quite a crowd came about, and those who had books

118 PILKINGTON OF UGANDA.

would bring them and ask to be further instructed,
whilst those who had none, begged and implored
us to give them some. Mr. Pilkington, who was
the only one able to speak the language of Uganda,
would frequently have within a few minutes, quite a
crowd round about him, who would be engaged in
learning and repeating texts of Scripture ; and by
simply giving notice that, in an hour or so, a service
would be held, some fifty or more would come
together for prayer, &c. Of course, all this filled us
with great hope and increased our impatience to
reach the capital. At length, after many delays
caused by light and variable winds, on the twenty-
third day of sailing, and on December 27th, we
reached the capital. And how shall I tell of that
warm welcome given to us by the Natives of the
Church and by Brethren Walker and Gordon, who
for so long have so nobly held the fort ? "

** On Monday, December 29th," Bishop Tucker
writes, " we paid our respects to the king in open
court. At about half-past nine, a messenger came
from the king to say that he was ready to see us.
So, setting off, we reached the royal residence at
about ID a.m. Our party consisted of Messrs.
Walker, Gordon, Pilkington, Baskerville, Smith,
Hooper, and myself. Outside the palace, another
messenger met us, his work being apparently to
conduct us into the royal presence. I suppose he
must have been the Chamberlain. As we came
near the reed gate which separated us from the
audience or reception room, drums were beaten and
trumpets blown. The gate was immediately thrown

UGANDA AT LAST. 119

open and we'were in the presence of the king and
his court. The former at once rose up to greet us,
shaking each one by the hand. Our seats — for we
had taken the precaution of bringing our chairs
with us — were placed on the right hand of the
king. He at once inquired about our journey and
made various inquiries about our ages, &c., &c., at
the same time making remarks as to the colour of
our hair, our height, &c., &c. With regard to the
king himself, his appearance is certainly not pre-
possessing. The impression he gives one is that of
his being a self-indulgent man. When he knits his
brows, his aspect is very forbidding. During the
whole of the time we were there, he kept giving his
hand either to the Katikiro on his left hand or to
the Admiral on his right, or to anyone who amused
him and was near at hand. I had intended to
bring with me one or two presents for the king — not
on the old scale or principles, but as a simple
acknowledgment of his courtesy in sending canoes
to Usambiro for our goods. But his unfaithfulness
in regard to his promise recoiled upon his own head.
Thinking that the canoes would follow us from
Usambiro in a few days, I left the presents for the
king to be brought on later. No canoes appearing,
no presents were forthcoming. I thought the king
seemed quite angry with those about him who were
responsible for the delay in the departure of the
canoes. At any rate, he asked several very sharp
questions with regard to the causes of the delay.
The atmosphere of the reception-room was oppres-
sively close, and so we were not sorry when the king

120 PILKINGTON OF UGANDA.

rose up from his seat as the signal that his audience
was at an end. Instead of retiring to the rear, as
his custom is, he followed us to the front of the
barraza, not merely, I think, as a matter of courtesy,
but in order to inspect us a little more narrowly."

Pilkington's early impressions of the position in
Buganda are given in a letter to his friend, Mr.
Martineau.

" C. M. S. Station, Uganda,

January 4th, 1891.

This is a wonderful country and a wonderful
people ; war has ruined the country for the present ;
the bananas, which, with sweet potatoes, form four-
fifths of the food of the country, won't be bearing
again, barring the few spared in the war a year ago,
for two more years ; what with war and disease,
there are hardly any cattle left ; in fact, we are only
just now coming out of the famine. In spite of this
we have been amply supplied, seven of us, and our
* boys,' with bananas, sweet potatoes and meat from
our native friends here, as presents, for which they
expect no return in material things ; we live mainly
on green bananas boiled. Three houses, in native
style though of English cottage shape, have also
been built to receive us ; we shall give the builders
a present, but not the value of their work ; and very
likely they are not expecting anything. So we
needn't cost the C. M. Society much. The houses
are built of a strong and tall grass cane dried in the
sun, and tied firmly in regular lines with strips of
bark (if you can call it so) of the banana tree ; the

UGANDA AT LAST 121

g^rass roof is supported by stems of a palm that grows
here (no eatable fruit, however). The doors are
made of the same as the walls, and are at present
just leaned in the doorway. The windows are holes,
over which we are putting blinds of native bark
cloth. These houses keep out rain and sun, but not
wind and cold ; however, I think them very com-
fortable and pretty to look at ; the floor is earth
beaten down, rather damp as yet.

A thousand or more come to our service on
Sunday; half of these at least can read, though
some would be only beginners ; the Church is over-
crowded. On week days, 500 or so come to * read '
{i.e. to worship and to be taught) from six to nine in
the morning. The keenness to learn is incredible.
Many, I believe, would keep it up all day long if
you let them ; how far and in how many cases this
is a sign of real Christianity in them, I can't say at
present.

The state of the country is still very unsettled,
though much improved. There are five political
parties in the country (to none of which do we, the
white men, belong — politics are not our business) : —
i. — The English Company, with Capt. Lugard at
present at its head. He has not strength enough
yet, or thinks he has not, to take a strong and
decided course, ii. — The Roman Catholic Party,
headed by the King and half the big Chiefs. The
King hates and fears the first and following party,
.ii. — The Protestant Party, headed by the biggest
and wealthiest of the Chiefs, the ' Katikiro,' and
the remaining Chiefs, iv. — The Heathen Party

132 PILKINGTON OF UGANDA.

which is not a party, but the great majority of the
population, who have lost nearly all political power.
V. — The Mohammedan party, which is no longer in
this country, but in the neighbouring and once
subject State of Bunyoro, whither those who have
not been killed have been driven. The Christian
parties have all the guns, 2,000 each perhaps, hence
their exclusive power.

The people are like children, or like tinder, and
the least excitement sets them in a blaze. The other
morning they had come to Church here with their
guns, of course, when a report got about that the
Roman Catholics were about to attack — all a lie.
Immediately, they all rushed out in tremendous
excitement into the main road, and had the Roman
Catholics had time to collect, they might have
caused a fright. A night or two later, the Roman
Catholics got a similar scare. All through the
night they were assembling at the King's. In the
morning, the Protestants gathered at the Katikiro's.
They were at last calmed with great difficulty ; now
each party has sent in to Captain Lugard a list of
grievances against the other ; I hope he may settle
them justly and wisely, and be able to have his
decisions fairly carried out.

This is a beautiful country, very hilly, covered
with banana trees (our houses are in the middle of a
banana ' shamba,' or garden, which is the Mission's),
10 miles or so from the lake, and a good bit above
its level, very healthy, we are told, for Africa ; we
are just north of the Equator.

This place is to my mind a fresh proof, or I should

UGANDA AT LAST. 123

say, confirmation, of the living power of the Word
of God ; it has turned the world upside down here.
They are ready to pay as many cowries, 1,500, as
would amply feed a man for two months, for a New
Testament in Swahili ; of course, we don't give
them away, for many would take them only to sell
them again ; and we are out of books at present, we
can't supply the demand fast enough.

My work here, if God lets me work here, is to
be chiefly in the language ; the four Gospels are
nearly finished ; nothing else ; so plenty is left for
me."

Thus early, Pilkington was marked out for
linguistic work, and in this connection the following
letter from Bishop Tucker is of great interest,
particularly as it refers to others who had already
done splendid work in reducing Luganda to writing
and producing the earliest translations : —

; Buganda,

Jan. 1891.

My Dear Mr. Pilkington,

It seems to me to be clearly pointed out
by Him, who never leaves his Church without
guidance and direction, that the special work to
which you are called in Buganda, is translational
and linguistic ; in entrusting to your care this
important part of the work of the Mission, I do
so with the utmost confidence, believing that the
Word of God will have in you, one who, as a
Christian, will handle it with holy reverence, and
who, as a scholar, will translate it with accuracy. I

124 PILKINGTON OF UGANDA.

am, however, not forgetful of the fact that at present
you have scarcely done more than make a beginning
with the language. I am, therefore, glad to know
that you have, in Mr. Gordon, one who will greatly
assist you in your studies, and in every way co-
operate with you in your work. For some time to
come you will naturally seek Mr. Gordon's help, and
consult him in matters in which his experience and
linguistic attainments will qualify him to express an
opinion. He is at present engaged — as I dare say
you know — in the completion of an important work
commenced by Mr Mackay : this will, of course,
remain in his hands until its passage through the
press. After this, it is Mr. Gordon's own wish that
the translational and linguistic part of the work
should be placed in your hands. I am sure you
may depend upon his hearty support and loyal
co-operation in all that is undertaken for the Glory
of God, in the spread of the knowledge of His word.
This translational work will not, I am sure, prevent
you from engaging as opportunity may present
itself from time to time, in the more directly
Spiritual work of the Mission, for this, you will place
yourself at the disposal of those who have charge of
that work. Praying that a great blessing may rest
upon your labours, and that you may have health
and strength given to you for all that you under-
take, and that much joy and peace may fill your
own soul. I remain,

Ever yours in Christ,
Most faithfully and affectionately,

Alfred, Bishop, E. E. Africa."

UGANDA AT LAST. 125

" P.S. — I cannot help thinking that one of the
most useful pieces of linguistic work to which you
can put your hand would be (as soon as you feel
yourself qualified to undertake it) a simple Gram-
mar. Its usefulness to those coming up country for
the first time would be simply incalculable. I
commend it earnestly to your attention."

Early days in Buganda were not idle ones.
Pilkington writes to his mother on

January 3rd, 1891.

"We've had a lot to do, the houses to rig
up, get the floor pounded down, get a trench dug
round it to keep off the rain, rig up a shift for a
table, etc., etc. Then I've had to set a Swahili

paper, and shall have to look over it for , who

is to be examined for orders, to be preparing Noah
for confirmation, besides getting oneself and one's
clothes washed, learning Luganda, etc., etc.

Then, on Monday, we're to start classes for
confirmation, about fifty candidates to be taken in
Swahili by four of us. So I've plenty to do."

Later on, writing to one of his sisters, he
describes his surroundings as follows : — *' I'm sitting
on a native stool, cut out of solid wood. As my
table, I have put my large tin writing desk on my
native bed (a strong wooden framework with a
cow-hide stretched tightly), my table is too high for
the stool. On my right side against the wall is my
camp bed, whose canvas is greatly torn in the
middle, and which I use only as an untidy table to
put things on. By the way, one of the chiefs lent,

126 PILKINGTON OF UGANDA.

and then gave, the native bedstead. Then comes a
basin, supported on a four cross-legged stool made
by my Muganda boy, Erasito ; intended to make a
stool for myself, but unsatisfactory. Then I have a
table behind me, strewn with books, standing on
four legs that are fixed in the ground, and the top
formed, like the walls of the houses, of the grass
cane tied to the frame with strips of banana bark —
this is only temporary. Over the windows and
door I have curtains of bark cloth. On the pole
which stands in the middle of the room and
supports the roof, I have two bags of clothes
hanging.

Above my head I have a large package — a yard
long, six inches in diameter — of native salt done up
in banana leaves — salt is very scarce here. For this
salt — ID lbs., perhaps — I paid four yards of the
miserable white calico which is called cloth here ;
this is equivalent to 2,000 cowries, or, as we say,
20 strings, which, in normal times, would buy 40
huge bunches of bananas, each with 100 or 200
bananas on it ; or three fat goats or sheep ; 40
strings would buy a cow. A string of shells costs
us, including carriage^ about a shilling."

CPIAPTER VIII.

A LULL IN THE STORM.

For some little time there was a cessation from
those violent outbreaks of hostilities which had so
often interrupted Missionary work, and though, to
those who were familiar with the situation, it was
evident that this was not likely to last, opportunity
was afforded for considerable progress, especially in
translational work, and on the part of the people in
their desire for books.

Pilkington felt the need of more books most
keenly, and his letters about this time are full ot
schemes for expediting the production of books.

On February 24th, 1891,
He writes : — " In the loads came books, which
went (at least the New Testaments)," — no doubt
these were in Swahili — " like wild-fire at 1,000
cowries apiece ; 200 cowries buy ample food for a
man for a week. Only 120 New Testaments or so
came ; after a day and a half all had gone, and
many people had to be sent away disappointed.
We want thousands of books and hundreds of men."

"February 25th, 1891, 4.30 p.m.
I've just finished a spell of writing translation;
this is, of getting a Muganda who knows Swahili to

128 PILKINGTON OF UGANDA.

translate from that language into Luganda. I am
doing the Acts in this way, every morning, for three
hours, with Henry Wright Duta, the most educated
of our people. In the afternoon, I am doing some
Bible stories from Swahili. These translations won't
be perfect when they are done, but I think they
will be correct and intelligible, and the need of
Luganda books is most pressing. Matthew, and
an abridged prayer-book, and a reading sheet with
the Commandments and Lord's prayer, are the only
Luganda publications we have or have had, for as
soon as we get any they go like the wind. . . .
The four Gospels have been translated. Now to
have them printed and sent here, there's the rub !
We got the other day the first copies of Matthew
that reached Uganda, and they were printed in '88,
two or three years' delay. I can't imagine how it
was, and the people here dying for books and ready
to pay for them. Now what I want to do is this,
only I want your help : I want friends at home to
subscribe money to get these books printed, and
want you, that is my family, to get them printed,
and to look over the proofs, because you know my
handwriting ; to have a proof out here means a
delay of six months or so. Do you think you could
manage this ? The need of native books is
enormous. We should sell them here for cost of
printing and carriage, and send the money home to
get more printed. You, that is all you who are
familiar with my writing, could look over the proofs
more satisfactorily than anyone else. I've no doubt
Father knows a good printer in Dublin. If I try to

A LULL IN THE STORM. 129

get them printed in any other way, I am sure it
would only mean endless delay. Where each book
had been thoroughly revised (and to do this printed
copies here would be an immense help) I should
send it to the Bible Society. But this wouldn't do
at first, and we must have an immediate supply.
The natives here are ready and fit to teach a great
deal, only they want books. The first thing is to
gather some money together. I shall write to a
good many people, and I am sure this will be no
difficulty. But still, if you would write to anyone
who would like to help, it would be a great thing.
I don't think you would find it either very difficult
or very tedious looking over the proofs, because all
you could do would be to compare them with my
copy, original corrections you could'nt make. What
do you say ? "

"Sunday, March ist, 1891.

I shall write more about the above matter when
Gordon has come back from Busoga, and I have
consulted him; whether that will be before this letter
goes (we expect him for Easter perhaps) or not, I
can't say. I can't bear to think of delay of six months
at least, perhaps a year, while the proofs could come
and be sent back, when the people are so eager for
books. At the same time, I don't wish to burden you
at home ; however, I am sure that my sisters would
think it a great privilege to have a part and a very
important one in so grand a work. I believe that
the results of having a Luganda Bible here would
be amazing.

The position of Uganda, within easy reach by

130 PILKINGTON OF UGANDA.

steamer of all the country that fringes the lake, a
central position too, in Africa generally, com-
manding further the South end of the Nile valley,
makes me think the events of the last dozen
years : — Stanley's visit, the Missionaries coming,
the great movement (whether you think of it as
religious, intellectual, or political), the persecutions,
the coming of the English Company, the death of
Mackay, and Stanley's return to England (because
of the interest in this country aroused by these two
events), all these things coming together, seem to
me in a most special way to be providential. In
other words, I think all these things point to the
fact that * Ethiopia shall soon stretch out her hands
unto God,' and that Uganda will be a great centre
of light.

Henry Wright Duta, whom I mentioned as my
translator, is a very clever man. He might have
been a big chief, Katikiro had he chosen, but he pre-
ferred the position of a simple teacher ; others have
made the same choice.

We had the Lord's Supper in Church, to-day.
Captain Lugard (theoretically the King, but it was
Captain L's advice that prevailed) has decided that
the Sese islands are to be divided as originally
agreed between the Protestant and the Roman
Catholic parties. The Roman Catholics have
hitherto held them to the exclusion of all other
parties ; this has been decided. When will it be
carried out ? When that happy time comes we
shall be able to get canoes for our loads from
Usambiro. The canoes axe now under the control

A LULL IN THE STORM. 131

of Roman Catholic chiefs and the King, who
promise anything but perform nothing.

We expect De Winton to afternoon tea to-morrow
afternoon. I've undertaken to make the bread. I've
made very fair bread from native materials lately ;
rice, plantains, potatoes, milk, and pombe barm, but
now I've got English flour, butter and cake, with
raisins and currants, of which we have a few. So with
translations, etc., I'll have a busy day to-morrow. So
good night, it's g.15 now."

"Sunday, 8th March, 1891.

We are getting canoes sent. We hope to-morrow to
send to Usambiro for loads, so the letters are to start
on Tuesday and catch the others up. The political
state of the country is still very unsettled. Smith and
Gordon are still in Busoga, at least, so we suppose, we
have not heard of them since they crossed the Nile.

With Henry Duta, I have now translated nearly
half the Acts. I hope to send to the Bishop by this
mail, short translations of Bible stories, Adam,
Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Moses, Samson, Jonah,
Nebuchadnezzar, etc., which would be very useful
while we have no Old Testament in Luganda, and
especially for teaching children both the Bible and
reading. They have been translated by different
natives who know Swahili. In another fortnight or
so, I hope to finish the Acts, and in another month,
perhaps, the Grammar which the Bishop suggested.
All these things will, of course, at first, be very im-
perfect, but I want the Grammar to be ready, if
possible, to give what help it can to the 20 men the
Bishop hopes to bring out soon.

132 PILKINGTON OF UGANDA.

Do you know the picture leaflets which are pub-
lished by the Children's Special Service Mission ? I
am going to write to Mr. Bishop to-morrow to ask
whether he could get some in Luganda printed for us,
and I mean to send him, in case he can do it for us,
the story of Naaman with a few words in explanation
of its typical meaning. The last part of Revelation
vii., Psalms li. i, 2, and 7, ist John, i. 7, and a
hymn, of which this is a translation .... It is
very doubtful whether the C. S. S. M. can under-
take to do them, but I think it worth trying. The
rains are on now, which makes it much cooler and
pleasanter, to my mind. My boys, who came from
Usambiro, are thriving fearfully here. One had
dysentery when he first came, he was dangerously
ill, nearly as bad as Edgar on the road (to
whom I am writing by this mail). In both cases,
ipecacuanha was successful. Now this boy, who
was a skeleton, is as fat as may be ; so is Najibu,
whom I hear in the next room practising ta, to, te,
ta, to, te, from his reading sheet. He has the
reputation of being the cleverest of the boys whom
Stanley brought to Usambiro. The other boy
who was ill, was Emin Pasha's, Erasito. My
Muganda boy is 17 or so, and can read perfectly,
and knows Swahili well ; he is the brother of the
Katikiro, the * Lord Chancellor,' as Ashe calls him
in his book. Have you read it? *Two Kings of
Uganda.' The smallest of them is Kitera, who
arrived here with the last mail."

In writing to Mr. Bishop about the picture leaflets
he says : " I have been thinking lately of the picture

A LULL IN THE STORM. 133

leaflets of the C. S. S. M., and wishing very much
to get some for our people here (who would
appreciate them immensely and buy them with
shells) ; and wondering whether it would be possible
to get some in Luganda

I think this country has a particular claim on
you, because the oldest of its people are only over-
grown children."

This request was gladly granted by the Children's
Special Service Mission.

"April 5th, 1891.

Nearly all the Waganda have gone out to fight
the Mohammedans, who were ravaging, a week ago,
only six hours' march from here. The Katikiro is
' Mugabe,' i.e., General, and Henry Duta is with
him as his Secretary. Samwili (who went as a
sort of Ambassador to the three Consuls, English,
French and German at the coast, who has just
come back), was to have taken Henry Duta's place
in helping me, but he has fever. The Waganda have
driven the Mohammedans off, they are retreating to
their stronghold in or near Bunyoro, the Captains
are soon to start with seven hundred men and two
Maxim guns in pursuit ; they will offer them terms,
and, if these be refused, will take their stronghold.

The Acts, Henry and I finished a week ago, but
I must still revise it. I am working hard at the
grammar now, making vocabularies just at present.
I hope to be able to send something in the way of a
Grammar and general Handbook to the language in
two months more, but I shall have to work hard.
This might be ready to help the men coming out

134 PILKINGTON OF UGANDA.

in the Autumn. I have written ten Luganda hymns
to the tunes, and to some extent following the
words of the following : ' Art thou weary ? ' ' There
is a fountain,' ' There is life for a look,' * Onward
Christian Soldiers,' * Look ye Saints,' ' I heard the
voice of Jesus,' ' Grace, 'tis a charming sound,' * I
lay my sins on Jesus,' * Just as I am.' I intend to
send a copy of this to Deekes at Nassa ; he may be
able to print us some. This, and Grammar, and
translations, making bread, butter, and pancakes
(you should see me toss them before a group of
admiring black boys) have chiefly occupied me since
I last wrote.

Gordon is back from Busoga. Smith is still
there. Walker went the other day to Budu, the
Pokino's country, to make a start there. Kitera,
my small boy, was Gordon's originally, so Gordon
has taken him. He starts home in a month or two.
I have an odd bit of black mortality in his place
called Kisasiro, a very odd little boy. Nasitu told
me to-day that one of Stanley's porters bought him
for a doti, that is four yards of calico ; he seemed
rather proud of having been worth so much. One of
Walker's boys was bought for an old tin cannister ;
to remind him of it is a favourite method of teasing
him. I think he tries to make out it was a biscuit tin.'*

"April 1 2th, 1 89 1,

I've been particularly well lately, and accordingly

my Grammar makes good progress ; the whole

thing is to consist of grammar, syntax, notes on

pronunciation, specimens of Luganda, especially

A LULL IN THE STORM. 135

conversations, Luganda-English Vocabulary, and
English-Luganda ditto. I hope to finish it by the
end of next month ; a good deal is done already.

De Winton has asked us all to tea this afternoon.
Lugard and Williams and the Doctor are out at the
war; no fighting yet. The enemy shewed some
desire to fight before the English came up, but I
expect they are retreating now.

We have planted beans, Indian corn, guavas,
pawpaws, lemons, peas, and radishes ; cabbages we
have had several of lately. There are four fresh
eggs on this table waiting for me to cook. I have
made some excellent bread lately. A good deal of
wheat has been planted, but not by us. The
country is rapidly improving ; perfect quiet now and
confidence in the English Company."

In a letter to Mr. Martineau he remarks: — "Sugar
here is a great luxury ; we have some left, but only
use it on great occasions. I daresay you look on
saccharine with scornful eyes : but as articles cost
about 2S. per lb. to bring up here, or sometimes 5s.,
lightness is a very valuable quality for us. The
Society pays for our loads, but of course we all try
to cut down expenses as much as possible (you see
at the present moment we could find ample work for
twenty Europeans here and this would cost, to
bring them here, 3^5,000 at least) ; so there is every
reason to economise : accordingly, I've only ordered
saccharine for next year, a couple of little bottles. If
you could tell me any simple process by which
sugar-cane (which we grow, but not much, here)
could be used for sweetening things, it would be

136 PILKINGTON OF UGANDA.

very useful. Slicinp^ it and putting it in hot water
makes no earthly difference; I find : indeed, it's of
very little use to us. The people chew it largely,
spitting out the fibre, but we don't care for it.
We get honey from the South end of the lake
occasionally."

With reference to the demand for books, Mr.
Walker writes from

" Namirembe, Buganda,

March 9th, 1 891.

Just lately we sold 4,000 Luganda reading-sheets
and about 200 Swahili New Testaments, as well as
other books. The demand is very great for the
New Testament, but Ezekiel and Jeremiah are not
much cared for because they are not understood.
Could you have sent up of the Luganda reading-
sheets, 10,000 copies ; of St. Matthew in Luganda,
3,000 copies ; of the Prayer-book in Luganda,
3,000 copies ? I should like to ask for more, but
the above will make 22-1- loads. We do not intend
to charge the actual cost -price here in Buganda
necessarily, but so near to this that there should be
no great loss on the books. For a Swahili New
Testament we have charged the people 1,000 shells,
and these we have sold for 3s. 6d. Ihe book in
England is sold for 2S. and weighs one pound.
There must, therefore, be a small loss on each
book, but it is only a small one. On the Luganda
reading-sheets we have made a little profit, as we
sell each for thirty shells.

The French priests are here in great numbers
and are very active. Surely many people in

A LULL IN THE STORM. 137

England, who cannot come to help us themselves,
would like to help on the work by sending the Word
of God here in its written form."

Pilkington writes to Bishop Tucker on the same
date —

** The other day the first instalment — only lOO or
so — of the Luganda St. Matthew, which had been
printed in England, arrived at last. We are
naturally extremely anxious to get anything that we
can manage to get translated, printed and sent back
without loss of time. I have begun the attempt at
a grammar which you recommended me to make,
and in another month I expect to have ready what
would, I think I can say, (though, of course, it
would have many little faults and deficiencies) be a
great help to new men coming out. I have got
Natives to translate from Swahili (making use both
of the Bible and the * Picture Bible ' in Swahili) a
good many Old Testament stories ; these are meant
especially for teaching children, although, while we
are without an Old Testament in Luganda, they
would be also generally useful. Henry Duta and
I have also begun and nearly done half of the
Acts. In another month I hope this will be finished
too. I believe we could dispose of 2,000 at least of
any small book in Luganda at cost price. The
books which have hitherto come have quite failed
to satisfy the demand. We ought to aim at having
the books as small and light as is consistent with
good printing and binding, both in order to save
cost in carriage and because the Waganda are far

138 PILKINGTON OF UGANDA.

readier to buy a neat book and one which they can
easily carry about with them, than anything large
and clumsy. If you could see the eagerness of this
people for books — I am glad to think you did see
something of it — how they swarmed round us day
and night while the books lasted and after they
were all gone, and would not believe that there
were no more New Testaments or St. Matthews or
reading-sheets to be had, you would be as anxious
as we are to see them satisfied at last. Even the
Roman Catholics buy our books. Even the sending
out of more missionaries is, to my mind, at present
scarcely so important. With native books, so
many here are already capable of teaching a good
deal."

The next letter tells of a visit to one of the
islands rendered necessary by an attack of fever.

•* Island of Sowe,

V. Nyanza,

4th July, 1 891.

I had an attack of fever for a week, and so De
Winton asked me to come here for a change, which
I did, and it has done me a lot of good, only, alas,
we've missed the mail and my vocabulary is here.
Capt. Williams assured me that the mail would pass
here, but it did'nt. We are negotiating for a canoe,
and I heartily hope we'll get one, but the prospect
is dark.

I've started the Galatians with Henry. Walker
we expect back from Budu every day ; he wants
Baskerville to go back to Budu with him. We

A LULL IN THE STORM. 139

hope to have the Church started now, the new one,
large enough to accommodate with comfort our
large and increasing congregations. Smith is back
in Busoga, Gordon on his way to England. We
have had no mails yet, and so we don't know any
more about Ashe's coming. The Waganda are
tremendously fond of Ashe.

I got fever going through a marsh on my way
with Baskerville to the Mumenga, a big chief, who
had had ulcers, and who refused to use medicine on
the ground that God could cure him without. We
did'nt know of this abominable marsh, and I had
hardly reached the Mumenga's when fever came on,
and I had to be carried back. The Mumenga still
refused medicine, but agreed to use water for his
ulcers. I have not heard since, except that the
poor fellow has now got small pox ; but his faith is
encouraging to see, even though we may think it
mistaken in a way.

We intend to go back to Mengo on Monday,
and then I hope I shall get on with translation all
the quicker and better for this rest, but if we can't
send off these letters and my vocabulary, it will be
a great disappointment. I should not have dreamt
of coming here at such a sacrifice.

De Winton has been shooting at hippos and
crocodiles, which abound here ; we believe he killed
one of the latter, he was hit and careered about,
lashing his tail and showing his great jaws, but we
could'nt actually get him. If we had a good boat's
crew, we could get hippos, but our paddlers are
afraid to go near enough; they are hideous monsters,

140 PILKINGTON OF UGANDA.

I have seen them quite close. We have wanted to
shoot and eat some parrots, which abound here, how-
ever we've been unsuccessful as yet. The butterflies
are wonderful ; there are honeysuckers here, green
and red and black ; also a fine osprey. Mosquitoes are
terrible, but De Winton's description of the same in
Canada throw our mild experience into the shade."

A letter to his mother, ten days later, speaks of
another attack of fever, and in it he gives his opinion
on a variety of topics. Of religious papers, he
prefers The Christian, as he finds that it is not bitter.
He adds : ** The Christian deserves its name."

His order for articles of clothing and other things
gives some idea of his views as to dress in the
Tropics. It is evident that Jaeger boots must not be
confounded with Jaeger slippers I

"14th July, 1891.

If you could order me a fairly decent suit of
clothes, not too heavy, but fairly warm and large
enough — I don't mind if they are a size or two
too big; but tight clothes in this country are an
abomination. Also a couple of football sweaters —
R. will tell you what they are — and a couple of
Pyjama (is that right) suits, rather warmer than the
last (which were just what I wanted, only I like
warmer things now), and a few pairs of socks, a pair of
slippers (leather wears better than Jaeger), and six
pocket handkerchiefs. Could you get these things
packed, and sent out to Boustead, Ridley and Co. ;
also some rennet powder and baking soda."

The doings of the next few months are well

A LULL IN THE STORM. U!

described in the following series of letters, some to
Mr. Eugene Stock, and some to his mother : —

"Namirembe, Uganda,

August nth, 1 89 1.

The mail arrived this afternoon. I am alone (of
our missionaries) here.

Baskerville went to Budu, intending to come back
for a while, at any rate, in a month. The month
will be up in a week or ten days, but, in a letter I
got from him on arrival at Masaka, he spoke of
staying longer, as he would be delayed in visiting
Zekariya's place, because the petty king of Koki,
Kamswaga, had come into Budu, and, being joined
by the Roman Catholics, had burnt and destroyed
several houses and gardens, including Zekariya's.
I was alarmed by the first reports that reached us
of this business : * The Pokino killed ! Three of
Walker's boys, whom he left at Masaka during
his recent visit to this place, murdered ! ' This
would have been terrible. Walker is very fond of
his boys ; so are we all, but Walker especially, per-
haps. But, thank God, things were, as usual,
immensely exaggerated.

Now about things here. Politics (how I hate
them, but I suppose they are necessary evils ! )
hinder the work more than anything. When I
came back from the island of Sese, after a week's
change to try to shake off fever, the country was
terribly excited ; we all of us (Walker and
Baskerville were here then) really apprehended war,
or, at any rate, that the Protestants would leave the

142 PILKINGTON OF UGANDA.

country. This was caused by a proposal from
Captain Williams to abolish the agreement made
between the two parties, and to permit chiefs (all
of whom now hold office qua Protestant or Roman
Catholic, appointed by one or other party) who
change their religion to retain their chieftainships.
We should, of course, be delighted to see full
religious liberty, but the people do not understand
it, and the Protestant party was very resolute
against accepting the proposal ; this was because,
whereas the Roman Catholics, in the choice of their
chiefs, had been guided by the priests, and had
appointed consistently the most thorough-going
Roman Catholics, our party, on the other hand,
were guided by general, at least as much as by
religious, considerations (e.g. hereditary claims,
fitness other than religious) — Gordon and Walker
refusing to choose the chiefs. Well, the other day,
the Roman Catholic Bishop claimed ' religious
liberty ' from Captain Williams, on the ground that
the country was under the British flag ; our party
answered that if that were the case, and we were
really under British government and therefore we
could have British justice, let Captain Williams
hoist the English flag, and let us follow British
customs ; he tried to do so, but the attempt did not
succeed, the Roman Catholics and the king refusing
point-blank.

Well, this, and the division of the islands, and the
innumerable cases of men turned out of gardens,
houses destroyed, goods stolen, &c., &c., has
occupied every one for weeks past. At first, the

A LULL IN THE STORM. 143

church was empty on week-day mornings, but a
day or two after Walker and Baskerville went,
I made a round of visits to various chiefs, urerino-
them to be patient and aim at 'peace at any
price,' and to come and bring their people in the
mornings. Since then we have always had fair
and sometimes very large (500 or 600) congregations
— on weekdays, I mean ; on Sundays, the church
is crowded out. During this time I have started
giving them Bishop Ryle on St. Matthew every
morning after the * reading ' is over ; the * reading '
means that the people are divided into classes,
each with a leader, who translate the Swahili
of various books of the New Testament into
Luganda, with exposition (as far as they are able).
When I come into church after my breakfast,
between seven and eight o'clock, I attach myself to
the senior class, of which Henry Wright Duta is the
leader (when he is here ; he has just gone off to a
garden lately received). My arrival is the signal for
the class to turn from St. Matthew to Romans, which
we read and translate. Someone first reads it in
Swahili, the reader then reads it clause by clause,
and the first reader translates into Luganda, cor-
rected by the leader. Then they appeal to me for
explanation, which I attempt to give, but most of
them find Romans * kizibu nyo ' (extremely hard).

Ten days ago, Duta and Sembera came to me on
a Sunday to say they could not preach in church
(I generally preach at one Sunday service, and one
of the six who have the Bishop's licenae at the other) ;
they had * not been taught to preach ; what was the

144 PILKINGTON OF UGANDA.

good of preaching if they had not proper words to
preach ? ' To tell you the truth, I think them quite
fit to preach, but I did not say so exactly (though
I showed it by still asking Henry to preach as
arranged that afternoon, and Sembera the next
Sunday), but told them that a knowledge of one's
own ignorance is the beginning of knowledge (and if
Socrates is to be trusted, the end, too), and we
arranged an afternoon daily class for these two and
Johana Mwira, to which also Nataneli Mudeka came,
a very nice young fellow, just made a church elder.
These meetings are rather handicapped by politics
just now, and by Henry's departure to the country.
We started on Romans again ; the first eight verses
of chapter iii. were a terrible puzzle. They could
not grasp them, so we left them for the next day ; I
in the meanwhile to make a Luganda translation,
much amplified and simplified, which I did with the
help of Conybeare and Howson, and I believe they
understood them the next day.

I started translating Galatians two months ago
with Henry : fever and politics interrupted me, after
finishing the first chapter, till to-day. To-day
Sembera and I started again. I am translating
Genesis with Noah (here called Nuwa), who came
with us from the coast. These thino's, and looking
after the boys and place, and visiting for an hour or
two most afternoons, keep me very busy. I visited
two of the Roman Catholic chiefs lately, who gave
each a goat. I have since been given two more by
the Roman Catholics, to the great delight of my
boys, who eat the lion's share of it.

A LULL IN THE STORM. 145

We have some melons coming on in our garden ;
also wheat and potatoes ! We have great reason for
thankfulness for the healthiness of this country,
greatly owing, I believe, to the comparative variety
and excellence of its food, and clean water.

I have the names of thirty-six chiefs, who have
offered to build for and feed a European residing at
their place. I could easily add to this if I tried, but
surely this is enough to show what is wanted. At
most of these places, a good number of the people
have already learnt, or are learning, to read. The
outlay would be (the missionary once in the country)
next to nothing, and who can estimate the returns ?
The Baganda have already begun to go out to preach
in other countries (in Busoga and Usukuma). I
believe that, with God's blessing, this ought to be
the centre of African Christianity, sending the
messengers of peace east and west, north and south.
We have here, I believe, the fulcrum by means of
which to work Africa (and is it not Archimedes who
could move the whole earth, if only he had a
fulcrum ?), but the lever must, in the first instance,
be Europeans, men of God, who do not mind being
used as levers in Africa or elsewhere in God's hands.
— I wrote, * who do not mind,' but when I read it,
it sounds almost blasphemous ; ' not mind ' being
in God's hands for His work ! Could there be a
safer, a happier position ? Could there be a greater
privilege ? "

"September 14th, 1891.

A long time has passed since I began this letter,
and a lot of things have happened. News came
L

146 PILKINGTON OP UGANDA.

yesterday from Captain Lugard, and the Company
are sending a mail to-day, so I must wind up as
shortly as possible.

On the day after I wrote the beginning of this
letter, I saw, in the Intelligencer, that Ashe was
translating Genesis; so I left the eight chapters I
had done, and went on to Exodus. I hope to send
by this mail, and indeed with this letter, the
Galatians; I have no time to write to Gordon or
the Bishop. I also enclose a table of Luganda
concords, which I hope will be printed soon, and a
few copies sent to us here.

Smith is here now; he was ill on the road.
Captain Williams was extremely kind in fetching
him, also in visiting me when I had a week of fever,
a fortnight ago. Baskerville has had fever three
times in Budu. My last was my twentieth attack in
fifteen months. Smith brings a much more
encouraging account of work in Busoga ; I hope one
of the new men will go there till Ashe's coming
(which we expect in about a month — he is due at the
south of the Lake to-morrow). Smith is going to a
place on the Busoga road near the Nile, and there-
fore in the Buganda province of Kyagwe — about
three day's from here; they have offered to build
him a church there. The elders are choosing four
Waganda Christians to go with him and occupy
this place and three others, all within three or four
hours of each other. Smith will superintend, going
from one to the other. I hope to have a sort of
dismissal service before they all start. Smith now
says the people of Busoga are anxious to learn, and

A LULL IN THE STORM. 147

friendly, and even Wakoli is friendly. The Church
agrees to support entirely the Waganda working in
Buganda. When Ashe comes, I hope it will be
possible to do the same as in Kyagwe in the country
between this and Budu, the provinces of the Katam-
bala, Kasuju, and Kayima. There will then be left
the province of Singo, and with it that of the
Kitunzi, and the province of Bulemezi : these two
provinces are to the north, and have no lake-shore,
and are therefore most exposed to the Mohammedan
attacks, and, at present, are not thickly peopled. Four
more men are needed for them. Suppose six men
come in a month, we might have three in Budu
(Walker and Baskerville have their hearts set on
Budu), one in Katambala's country, three in Mengo,
one in Kyagwe, two in Busoga. Sesse should be
occupied. We ought to have twenty men,
Kavirondo might be occupied soon ; Smith is
longing to go there."

Later in the same day, he writes to his mother : —
" This morning, two Waganda came to me to offer
to teach in the Katambala's country ; two more for
Bulemezi. These were men selected by the church
elders. They are looking out men for Singo. Praise
God ! They have been clearly told to expect no
wages except from God. They are to be fed, housed,
and clothed at the expense of the Church here.
There are besides four men for Kyagwe, where Smith
goes in a few days. But we must have Europeans
to superintend. Baskerville has had three attacks
of fever in Budu. I had my twentieth dose a
fortnight ago ; now I am looking, everyone says, and

148 PILKINGTON OF UGANDA.

feeling better than I have been since my fever at the
coast. Any amount of work to be done. Every
morning, if I can manage it, I teach in the church.
Deekes has printed ten of my hymns, and I am
teaching them these. I visit a great deal and am
received with the greatest kindness and hospitality
by all. The other day, I went to the king to ask
for canoes. On his promise of thirty, I sent nine
cakes of Pears' unscented soap and about two
pounds of the commonest washing soap — this as an
earnest of what would come if our thirty canoes
really appeared. To-day, he sent me down ten
magnificent bunches of plantains, weighing, I
suppose, 3cwt., and a magnificent fat sheep (in the
last few days, by-the-bye, the leopards have taken a
goat, a kid, and a sheep of ours). The sheep must
have had 2lb. of fat (splendid for frying) in its tail.
I shall boil it down and bottle it. I have quantities
of milk and butter. I have bought up cows in
expectation of Ashe and his party. Every European
in this country should have a cow. You might send
me a small box of very strongly scented soap, also
some intensely powerful scent. With two such
cakes of soap I could buy a cow. ... I want
maps of Bible countries, Africa, and large pictures
for hanging up ; all for teaching a large number at
the same time. Oh ! for a magic lantern. Ashe is
due at Nassa to-morrow. One of the chiefs began
his house to-day. My house has just been altered,
and is now most comfortable and healthy. . . .
I am drinking tea and eating Indian meal
bread — while de Winton smokes (alasl he goes

A LULL IN THE STORM. 149

to join Lugard to-morrow). Emin has dodged

past to Wadelai, after ivory no doubt

I have several new boys now, one of them the
naughty Httle Bobby Kazinja, mentioned in * Two
Kings of Uganda.' Ashe to come in a month. I am
very well indeed.**

** Namirembe,

8th October, 1891.

I'm by myself still, as I have been since July
2oth, but for Smith's short visit. I have a kind of
kitten (a ' mondo * — it will be nearly as big as a
leopard), three grey parrots (which I have been
given and have passed on to my boys), and a
monkey, with which the boys are playing now in
in this room. He is a great delight to them, most
human and ridiculous, awfully afraid of me, but
bites the boys ; desperately fond of sugar-cane.

I have been teaching the hymns which I have
written, and reading Jeremiah, in church, with some
of our people. I have written to Mr. Stock, pointing
out how absurdly few we are in this country for the
vast work there is to be done

Our potatoes are doing well. I enclose a copy
written by Mackay, probably a good many years ago,
when he was at Natete ; also a letter written to me
by the Mujasi, the chief of the soldiers, a Roman
Catholic, in which he calls me Pere Kitene, being
accustomed to Peres among the French priests;
also a letter written in the King's name for him, by
the same chief, asking for paraffin oil, the first in
Swahili, the second in Luganda. Observe the

150 PILKINGTON OF UGANDA.

Royal signature, ' Kataka Mvvanga' (King Mwanga ;
also a letter from Sembera Mackay, a most excellent
man

This climate is not perfection. I call no climate
perfect wherein, if you stand outside for five minutes
while the sun is shining, with double felt hat on and
umbrella up, at any time between g a.m. and 4 p.m.,
you feel (if you are G.L.P., or like him) the effects
of it for an hour afterwards in faintness and head-
ache You might just as well be in

a Turkish bath all day as be here, or, rather, a
great deal better, for here decency demands clothes.
It's a grand farming climate I've no doubt, damp
and broiling."

For some time Pilkington had been feeling
urgently the need of more workers. This is summed
up in a letter to Mr. Eugene Stock.

" Namirembe, Mengo, Uganda,

October 2nd, 1890.

I sit down to utilize a few moments this evening
by writing, in the hope that I may be able to say
something that may show people in England how
much we want men here. You see I write in the
hope that you will be able to find something in this
letter which, if put into any of 3'our papers, might
induce some at home to come to the help of the
Lord against the mighty.

And let me first say that for more than ten weeks
I have been here now by myself, except for Smith's
short visit, which lasted a fortnight only, and he
was half an invalid. People may blame us for

A LULL IN THE STORM. 151

leaving one man (and he not in orders) here alone
for so long. But, in the first place, Baskerville was
to have come back in a month, but was hindered
by fever, &c. Secondly, how can we stand by and
see the whole country occupied by the Roman
Catholic priests (there are eleven of them, besides
^ frlres,' I believe ; and ten or fourteen coming),
especially when a previous occupation is a ground
which the Company will recognize for refusing
permission to the opposite party to go into any
territory ?

At the same time, here am I alone here, with
work enough ready to hand for ten men in England,
not to say here, where hitherto about one day out
of every four is lost owing to fever, and the remain-
ing three none the better in consequence. We
have every morning in our church from lOO to 300
eager learners, for three hours, from 6 or 7 a.m. to
9 or 10 a.m. Most of the teaching is done by
Natives ; I drop in for an hour or so (and they are
grateful for this) towards the end ; with my other
work I can't do more. I am reading Jeremiah with
them now, some of them only. If we had, say, a
couple of Europeans, with time enough at their
disposal to prepare the morning's lesson thoroughly,
and to wind up with a general address, I have no
hesitation in saying that these numbers would be
doubled. After this school and service is over, I
am translating each morning till mid-day Romans
with Henry Duta; then, after a hasty meal, I sing
with all the boys who care to come (teaching the
adults to sing I have given up as hopeless, so have

152 PILKINGTON OF UGANDA.

the French priests) ; I am teaching them hymns I
have written, and which Deekes very kindly printed
at Nassa. In the afternoon, I translate Exodus
(two-thirds are done) with Noah. In the cool of
the day I visit, and this is, perhaps, the pleasantest
work ona could have ; everywhere I meet with the
warmest welcome. I visit Protestants and Roman
Catholics alike. Yesterday, the Kimbugwe, the
biggest of the Roman Catholic chiefs, gave me
* bugenyi,' or a guest-present of a goat ; the second
he has given me. In all this work I feel as if an
ocean lay before me to be crossed, and I were
paddling on the edge of it.

Let me put down what I think we really want,
and I don't want to exaggerate in the least. I put
down so many men for each sort of work, not that
one man would be confined to any one work, but
merely expressing by the number of men the amount
of work urgently needing doing : —

For Mengo —

Services on Sunday, class for

teachers, and communicants' class i
Class for catechumens and teaching

daily in church ... ... ... i

Visiting and teaching in houses ... i
Doctor's work, accounts, &c ... I

Translation ... ... ,,, ... i

Itinerating in the neighbourhood

within two days i (? 3)

Substitute in case of fever either at

Mengo or in the country i

Total for capital ... 7

A LULL IN THE STORM.

153

Kavirondo

2

Busoga ...

2

Budu

3

Kyagwe ...

Katambala's

Singo

Bulemezi

Islands ...

I(?2)

Total for elsewhere

12

Grand total ...

19

Now in

Uganda

4

Expected

6

10

Extra men

urgently needed

...

9"

The above figures might easily be revised and
largely added to in view of recent developments.
It is, however, exceedingly interesting to notice
the careful way in which Pilkington planned out
the field, as he often did later on, in view of the
needs of the time. Commenting on these figures
he continues : —

" This is without counting Koki and the countries
to the north, or Kikuyu, &c., to the east. Besides,
the Committee ought to send an extra number of
men here, in view of illness and consequent early
returns home, and deaths. Walker, I expect, will
have gone by the time the next lot of men after
Ashe comes.

154 PILKINGTON OF UGANDA.

The expenses, once a man gets here, are next to
nothing ; the eagerness for learning is the most
remarkable thing I have ever seen or heard of in
that line.

This country has had hitherto, since the work
was started, possibly an average of one Protestant
European with a knowledge of the language ; one
book only of the Bible, St. Matthew, has been hitherto
put into the hands of the Natives in their own
language, and yet God has used such very small
efforts in an amazing way, so much so that I fully
believe that if missionaries were sent out at all ap-
proaching what this country has a right to expect,
considering what these men have borne for Christ's
sake, and their eagerness to be taught, and their
readiness to welcome and support teachers — if this
were done, I believe we should soon have Waganda
missionaries working throughout Central 'Africa.
To occupy completely this country now is to put
out the resources of the Society at lOO per cent,
interest ; to miss the opportunity of doing so is to
allow this country, and with it, perhaps, the whole
of Central Africa, to become (God forbid !) Roman
Catholic. I remind you that I have the names of
39 chiefs (and if I tried I daresay I could make it
lOo) who are ready and anxious to support with
native food and build for a missionary. Having
eased my mind by writing this letter, which I hope
you will believe keeps clearly on the near side of
exaggeration, although I am an Irishman, I'll stop
for to-night. No more news of Ashe; Baskerville
expected."

A LULL IN THE STORM. 155

•'Sunday, October 4th, 1891.

It is about twelve o'clock, and I am just out
from church, where Henry Duta preached an
excellent sermon to our usual congregation of a
thousand or so ; * the roaring lion conquered by,
and to be conquered through, Jesus alone.' I write
now, just while I feel strongly what the sight ol
that congregation and the hearing of Henry Wright
Duta's sermon roused in me.

I am astonished that more men haven't come
here, considering the opportunities. Where are all
the Christian men I knew at Cambridge ? I look
for their names in every mail, but they are few and

far between. Why don't men such as Mr. "

[here Pilkington mentions several well-known
Evangelical clergymen] ? "They would find here as
fine a field for work as in thejwhole world. Our work
here is the evangelization of Africa, and how can
wc, young and inexparienced as we are, take proper
charge and direction of a work so difficult and so
vast? When I think of myself here by myself, with
a large church, needing teaching and guiding and
correcting, with hundreds reading daily and bring-
ing all their ' knots ' to be ' untied ' to me, with
marriage difficulties naturally arising in a country
just reclaimed from heathenism, and then think of
all England's resources for Christian teaching, it
does seem, I was going to say, ridiculous, but I
would rather say, a cause of wonder, and shame,
and tears.

The two facts that impress me most strongly in
this country are, the smallness of England's efforts

156 PILKINGTON OP UGANDA.

for this country, and the greatness of what God has
been pleased to do in spite of it. Why, if Spurgeon
or Moody were to come here, they would soon have
audiences of immortal souls (faces black, no doubt,
if that makes any difference) as large as any they
address in England or America, and more receptive,
and less hardened, and far more grateful.

I had hoped that the example of Mr. E. O.
Williams, a vicar in Leeds, who went out to China,
would have been largely followed. To tell you the
truth, I was thinking the other day of writing

myself to Mr. " (one of the clergyman Mr.

Pilkington had mentioned above), "and suggesting
that he should come here ; but perhaps that would
seem to him a piece of interference and impertinence.
But all the same, I can't but believe it would be a
cause of rejoicing to the Church on earth, and to
God in heaven, if he, and such as he, did come.

There are several of these Waganda now, who
are fit, with a little systematic teaching, to go out
as missionaries far and wide. What we want is
that (i.) these men should receive the teaching they
need, and (ii.) that the whole spiritual tone of the
Church here should be so raised as to press out
these its best men to far countries. If there is any
truth about Missions which all parties accept as an
axiom, it is ' Africans for Africa,' and here are men
all but ready to supply this long-felt need ; and
what makes it more urgent still, is that, if these men
are not soon working for us, or rather for the
Gospel, they will be against the Gospel in the ranks
of Roman Catholicism. Of course, in this last

A LULL IN THE STORM. 157

sentence I refer to the Waganda generally, not to
the few to whom I referred above."

Thus for the greater part of 1891 the mission
work at the capital was carried on with only
temporary interruptions, due to political difficulties.
Meanwhile, events were being enacted in other
places which have had a profound bearing upon the
subsequent history of Uganda.

Captain Lugard, upon whom lay the onerous task
of administering the government of the Uganda
district, as the representative of the British East
Africa Company, found himself severely handi-
capped, owing to the want of suitable soldiers.

At the same time, he knew that there was within
no great distance from Uganda, and within the
territory which had been secured for British influence,
a large body of Sudanese under the command of
Selim Bey, who had formerly been in the service of
Emin Pasha, and who had been left behind when
Mr. Stanley's expedition started for the coast.

Not only did Captain Lugard feel that they might
form a valuable acquisition to his fighting force, but
he considered that it was absolutely necessary to do
something to provide for these men, who, if left to
themselves, might prove a source of great danger
within the British sphere.

He therefore entered into negotiations with Selim
Bey, whom he met at Ravalli's on Lake Albert Ny-
anza, and eventually came to an arrangement with
him, by which he and his men were to serve under
Captain Lugard, provided permission were accorded
by the Khedive, as he regarded himself as pledged

158 PILKINGTON OF UGANDA.

to continue in the service of the Khedive, and he
refused to enter into any binding contract without
leave from him.

Another difficulty arose from the fact that Selim
Bey, as Captain Lugard tells us, " wished to
stipulate that he should remain in absolute control
of his men." This, however, could not be allowed,
and eventually " Selim had to give in."

The number of Sudanese left in Selim Bey's force
was about 600 fighting men.

Gf these, some were distributed throughout a chain
of forts established on the border of Unyoro, whilst
others were brought on to Uganda for garrison duty
there.

On his return to Uganda, Captain Lugard found
heavy news awaiting him, to the effect that the
British East Africa Company had decided to with-
draw from Uganda.

To be obliged to repudiate the solemn treaties
which had just been concluded, and to abandon the
country to anarchy, was felt by those carrying on
the government in Uganda to be as dishonourable
as it would 'be disastrous, and, happily, the matter
presented itself in that light to people at home.
Missionaries had not sought the protection of the
arm of flesh, but now that a civilised government
had undertaken responsibilities with regard to the
country, it was felt that it could not so lightly
dismiss them.

Bishop Tucker was in England at the time, and
lost no opportunity of representing the true state of
the case, and much sympathy was aroused, and the

A LULL IN THE STORM. 159

conscience of England was touched. It was, how-
ever, given to the friends of the Church Missionary
Society to afford more practical proof of their sym-
pathy than mere paper resolutions, and when, on
October 30th, 1891, Bishop Tucker had told his
story at the annual meeting of the Gleaners' Union,
a fund was started by the friends of the C.M.S.
gathered at that meeting, though not officially
connected with the Society, which produced a sum
of no less than 5^16,000. This, with a sum of
^TzOjOOO contributed by the Directors of the Imperial
British East Africa Company and their friends,
enabled them to continue the occupation of Uganda
for another year, the British name was saved from
what would have been lasting disgrace, and one
more step was taken towards the consolidation of
that part of the British Empire, which lies in
Eastern Equatorial Africa.

CHAPTER IX.

CIVIL WAR.

"We are living on a volcano," writes the Rev.
G. K. Baskerville in his journal on December 4th,
i8gi — " the whole country is in a ferment. The
Roman Catholics started all the trouble by sending
men to destroy the Mulondo's place in Kyagwe.
He is one of our biggest and most respected chiefs.
Wisely, he, before taking any hasty measures, went
to consult Captain Williams, who told him to go
and defend his property. Accordingly yesterday he
went, and the king {i.e. the Roman Catholics) has sent
four Roman Catholic chiefs after him to kill him !
Here our friend Mwanga has put his foot into it,
and deserves no mercy at the hands of the
Company. Well, Williams went to the king and
told him that, unless he sent counter-orders to stop
these men, he would fight with him. Our people
have acted nobly and kept from violence ; we went
to see one chief who was for fighting at once, but
he promised to refrain out of respect to our opinion
and advice. If the Protestants throw themselves
upon the Captain and do nothing rash, they will
win ; but if they act independently they will lose.
They are now waiting to hear from the messengers

160

CIVIL WAR. 161

sent after the chiefs who had gone to fight the
Melondo. If he has been killed there will be war,
and it will mean the expulsion of the Roman
Catholic party, for Williams will aid the Protestants
as being the aggrieved party. To-morrow will
bring us news. If there is fighting we are to go up
to the camp, leaving only one of our number here
to protect the property. Our going will show the
people that we have no wish to meddle. Pilkington,
knowing the language and people, will stop if it is
necessary for us to go. Dear plucky old Sembera
Mackay, he has visited the king when no one else
would go! He has gone unarmed. One of the big
Roman Catholic chiefs ordered his men to fire on
him, but no one dared to do so, and he walked past
all into the king's enclosure. Then he went to see the
Kimbugwe, the chief of the Roman Catholic party,
and got him to call in his men ; he then went to the
camp. Captain Williams has been this evening,
and expressed himself greatly pleased with the
conduct of the Protestants. Being prohibited
from walking out, we spent an hour in sowing
vegetable-seeds in our garden. ' In Jesus' keeping
we are safe and they.' Good-night.

** Dec. 5th. — The morning rose tumultuous ;
murmurs of war and incessant noise and parading
of men. Of course no work could be done. About
noon we could hear the Mujasi's war-drums. He is
a Roman Catholic, and was the first on a former
occasion to commence ; then, he pleaded drunken-
ness as an excuse. Our people have behaved
grandly. They have taken no step without the

y

162 PILKINGTON OF UGANDA.

Captain's permission. One chief of ours was on
his way quietly home at about four o'clock, when
we, from our garden where we were walking,
saw a Roman Catholic chief fire four times on his
men. One man was clubbed in the jaw, and a
general melee seemed unavoidable. The people,
however, saw the folly of leaving the immediate
vicinity of the capital to avenge a petty insult, and
resolved to wait till Williams could be consulted.
My man, Tito, was asked to go off to the camp,
which he did, and saw the Captain. The Roman
Catholic chief is to send his guns to the camp.
But the people are still waiting news of Melondo's
fate ; this will bring matters to a crisis. If he is
killed, nothing, it would seem, can avert terrible
war. We hear that Martin has crossed the Nile,
and should therefore be here by Wednesday. We
can have no public services to-morrow, for it would
never do for the people to assemble as a body."

The next letter from Pilkington, written on
December 7th, 1891, shows how, amid all the
turmoil, the work steadily progressed.

" We have just avoided war by the skin of our
teeth for the third or fourth time. I am thankful
to say the provocation (as Captain Williams
admitted) was mainly, if not entirely, on the Roman
Catholic side this time. Had there been war, Captain
Williams would have helped the Protestants.

Till this disturbance, our work was going on, to
all external appearance, splendidly, ten or twelve
classes each morning (Roscoe was able to start one
with Sembera's help, in Swahili, as soon as he

CIVIL WAR. 163

came), and between 500 and 700 people in church
each morning, then a class for teachers and others
at 2 p.m. for Pilgrim's Progress. I had sixty people
(twelve boys, the rest adults) who want to be
baptized. I hope some of these will be baptized
next Sunday. The intelligence and the earnestness
of some of them, and of others who were baptized
a fortnight ago, has struck me very much, and given
me great encouragement and pleasure, not for their
own sakes only, but because, being all pupils of our
elders, their clear knowledge in many cases of
Gospel truth, and evident earnestness, are the
surest evidence of the fitness of those who taught
them. I wish I could send you in full some of
Henry's sermons. Some of them have been logical
forcible, interesting Scriptural explanations of the
work of Christ for sinners. He is a very able man ;
he would be above the average in Europe. I doubt
that he has his equal in ability in Africa. How far
his superiority is due to the Universities' Mission
(he was with them at Zanzibar), I do not know;
but certainly his sermons are compositions, not
rambling discourses, and are delivered admirably.
Ephesians and Philippians, and some of
Colossians and i Timothy, I have translated with
Henry and Sembera ; I am waiting to finish
Genesis and Exodus, in order to get all the
New Testament done first. If that could be
printed and sent out quickly we would thoroughly
revise it. I want to get time for studying the
language more thoroughly than I have yet been
able to do ; perhaps I may be able to succeed in

164 PILKINGTON OP UGANDA.

this when Ashe comes, of whom we know only that
he left Usambiro about a month ago. I hope to
enclose two grammatical sheets which I have made,
and which Collins has copied two or three times, so
that the men have a sort of substitute for a
grammar. Martin's caravan is expected in two
days ; Captain Lugard by Christmas.

Oh, for books and reading-sheets ! and slates and
slate-pencils ! and men ! It is delightful beginning
to be able to teach these people who are so eager to
learn, not by pouring a flood of wisdom over them,
as one might pump water on a duck's back, but
by question and answer (teaching, when one has
anything worth knowing to teach, is the noblest
calling in the world). To preach in a language is
easy comparatively, but to teach in it — but, till
one can do that, it is not much good. But are
there not many in England who love teaching,
and, above all, teaching the truth of God, who have
but little scope at home ? They would find a field
here, teaching young, teaching old, teaching
morning, noon, and night ; and oh, so warmly
appreciated, so attentively listened to, so gratefully
remembered as Mackay, and O'Flaherty, and Ashe,
and Gordon are."

"December 14th, 1891.

Mail goes to-morrow; I have addressed Ephesians,
Philippians, Colossians, and my two sheets to you.

Henry, in preaching yesterday on the loaves and
fishes, said that, really, for those who think, the
growth of the plantains on the tree is just as

CIVIL WAR. 165

wonderful ; ' fools say it grows, because, I suppose,
it is its nature ' ; but really it is a miracle. And,
if a miracle is a thing which we cannot in the
least understand, he was right, and I believe that
this thought was original on his part.

Forty - seven persons — thirty - three men, four
women, and ten boys — were baptized yesterday. I
had had classes for them for some time, and finally
examined each one separately (six I told to wait till
I could teach them further) ; the forty-seven seemed
to me to have an intelligent trust in Christ as their
own Saviour, and an honest desire to lead a new life
by His help : pray for them especially, and for us.

The 'Nalinya' (queen-sister) brought four girls
yesterday, whom she asked me to prepare for
baptism. I am wondering whether Henry's wife
could help in this work ; it shows that ladies are
wanted here."

The next development of the political situation
is described in private letter from Pilkington.

" Namirembe, Mengo,

December 27th, 1891.

I am writing to-day (the anniversary of our

arrival in Buganda) to tell you, while I remember

clearly, some events of this morning which will

interest you. This morning .... about 6.30

a.m I heard Henry calling to one of

my boys. I answered him, and, getting out of bed
and putting on some clothes, called him in. He
and Sembera, Samwili, Mika, and Stefano had
come to tell me that the king wished to become a

166 PILKINGTON OP UGANDA.

Protestant, having quarrelled with the Roman
Catholics. I took them into Roscoe's house and
we consulted about it. The king had sent them to
us. We told them finally to tell the king that, in so
far as the matter was a political one, it was none of

our business We further advised them

to do nothing till they had consulted with Captain
Williams. We then had prayer with them and
they went to Captain Williams. He, we hear, will
not allow the king at present to become a
Protestant, as it would, he says, mean war, and an
alliance between the Roman Catholics and Moham-
medans. We shall do nothing more in the matter
at present. The king's proposal comes, I suppose,
only from political motives. Really we have not
much to do with it."

" December 28th, 10.30 p.m.
I am sitting up to-night till midnight, when
Collins is to relieve me, and then Roscoe him,
because threats of burning our houses down have
been made by the Roman Catholics. Last night,
their temporary Church was burnt down, we suppose
most likely by some of the king's people, six of
whose houses the Roman Catholics have lately

burnt down, besides killing four men

The Pokino has just been round to see our guard,
and he brings the news that the king has returned
to the Roman Catholic side, having received a

present His people of the capital,

thirty in number, have, however, determined to

join the Protestant side It is a

terrible pity that, at this critical time, we have not

CIVIL WAR. 167

more men, and especially more men who know, if

not Luganda, at least Swahili These

houses, if fired once, burn, every scrap of them, like
tinder, only more so ; hence our precautions. A
chap can steal up and throw on a smouldering
torch, and your first warning is the smell of smoke
and the crackling of the fire, which is almost
inextinguishable."

"January 20th, 1892.

.... I ought to have told you how I
went to the king, after the events I started with,
and asked to see him alone, as I had things to
speak of which I thought he would rather hear
in private. He turned out all his chiefs, keeping
one man only with him. I then explained what
we thought of his proposed turning Protestant;
I told him his soul was of no more value in our
sight, or in God's, than the meanest of his subjects,
and that we wanted real, not nominal Protestants.
I reminded him of his father Mutesa's opinion, that
* the English had the truth.' I began this by
saying, ' Your father, Mutesa, was a clever man,'
to which he answered the single word, ' Kitalo,'
which means, a marvel. I finally told him to do
what he believed God wished him to do."

On January 19th, Pilkington gives voice to
the great desire for further books and reading-
sheets in a letter to Mr. Wigram, of which the
following is an extract.

" I cannot express the earnest longing we have
for these books : what I feel is, that the whole
future of Africa is in the balances here now, and

168 PILKINGTON OF UGANDA.

delay in the arrival of these books may tell fatally.
I believe any expense ought to be incurred to
deliver these books at the very earliest opportunity.
It is terribly trying thus writing for books which
don't come, or if they do, come in driblets of 200
or 500, when we want thousands ; 500 Gospels sell
off in two days at a price which, at any rate, fully
pays for carriage.

The Roman Catholics are rushing in in the mean-
time. We pray every day for books ; really, I
think that men are less important.

The new Church is very fine : the labour, I
calculate, would have cost £1,000 at threepence
per man per day. I don't think people at home at
all realize yet what a fine people the Waganda are,
and what an opportunity there is here to advance
God's Kingdom."

A few days later, the storm-cloud, which had been
so long gathering, suddenly burst, but, before giving
the graphic and temperate description of the
conflict and the circumstances which led up to it
from the pen of Mr. Baskerville, it may be as well to
remind ourselves of the description of the political
parties in Uganda which have been already
mentioned. We use the word "political" advisedly,
for, though they bore religious names, their aims were
political rather than religious, and, as a further
confirmation of this, we learn that the Roman
Catholic party on the one hand, and the Protestant
on the other, were known as the Wa Franza and tha
Wa Inglesa.
The cause of this unfortunate division of two

CIVIL WAR. 169

professedly Christian parties is not far to seek.

Picture a small body of men at work in the
centre of gross heathenism, seeking to lead the
people to a knowledge of the true God and of His
Son Jesus Christ.

Just as they are beginning to gain an influence
over the people, another party of men appears on
the scene, of a different nationality and teaching a
different creed, and bearing in their hands large
presents with which to ingratiate themselves with
the chiefs and people.

Is it a wonder that the people of Uganda were
bewildered, and that between the followers of each
Mission there grew up a rivalry which permeated
the whole life of the people ?

None could regret this state of things more
than the Protestant Missionaries, and, as far as
possible, they tried to steer clear of such con-
troversies. It was impossible, however, not to be
affected by such a state of things as Mr. Baskerville
describes.

"Namirembe, Uganda,

January 31st, 1892.

I know you will like some particular account of
the terrible events of the last few days. I wrote to
you a long letter when in Budu, telling you some-
thing of the state of the country with reference to
the work of the Company, and also with reference
to the position of the two great religious parties.
Some six weeks ago, I think anyone who had been
in Uganda, during the first twelve months of the

170 PILKINGTON OF UGANDA.

Company's administration, would have said that the
country was rapidly quieting down again after its
past troubles. The policy of the Company had been
one which, taking the goodwill of the Protestant
party for granted, had always rather favoured the
Papist party ; most careful had both Captains
Lugard and Williams been to let no national or
religious prejudices seem in any way to influence
them in their administration. A year had passed
since the expedition commanded by Captain Lugard
had arrived here at the capital, just a few days
previous to the arrival of Bishop Tucker and his
party. War had been staved off from time to time,
the Company contriving to balance the parties ;
meanwhile, the Protestants ceding point after point
for the sake of avoiding collision. The Resident
has certainly done all in his power to avoid war —
even swallowed personal insults rather than undo
the work of twelve months — and it has been with
the greatest regret that he has been forced into
violent measures. Troubles began to brew about
the middle of last month, just after the Company's
new steel boat had left for the south end of the
Lake, commanded by Mr. Bagge. But, before this,
it had been proved on some four occasions that the
Protestants were the aggrieved party. First, some
six months ago, in August, a number of houses in
the capital were burnt wantonly by the Roman
Catholics, including the place of Ham Mukasa, a
man who was wounded in the battle of Rubaga Hill,
Second, in Budu, Kamswaga, King of Koki, a
country south-west of Budu, was sent for, it was

CIVIL WAR. 171

said, by the king, to turn the Protestants out oi
Budu ; this was done to a great extent, and, because
of the unsettled condition of the countr}-, I was
unable for a month to move on from Walker's place
at Masaka. Third, with regard to Kaganda, one of
the islands which had been secured to the Protestant
party, the Roman Catholics sent one hundred guns
to turn out the chief sent by the king. Fourth, about
the middle of December, the Mulondo, a prominent
Protestant chief in Kyagwe, hearing that his place
was likely to be attacked, asked leave to go down
and protect it. Leave was refused by the king, but
Captain Williams told him to go. On this, the king
despatched four leading Roman Catholic chiefs, with
five hundred guns, with orders to kill the Mulondo
wherever they found him. This angered Captain
Williams, and he told the king that he must at once
send off messengers to stop these men ; and further,
he told us that if the Mulondo were to be killed,
that the camp would be forced into war, which
meant taking the Protestant side and probably
driving out the Papists from the country. The
messengers were recalled, and so the affair blew
over. On December 9th, a large caravan for the
Company had arrived, bringing a great quantity of
ammunition. This had put the king into a great
state of excitement, and the day after Christmas
Day, the king sent a message to the Katikiro, saying
that he wished to become a Protestant, He saw that
the power was on the Protestant side, a large
caravan had arrived. Captain Lugard had returned
as far as Budu with a large number of Sudanese

172 PILKINGTON OF UGANDA.

soldiers, recovered from the two regiments of Emin
Pasha's, left after Stanley had passed on to the
coast. And he had been put in a further state of
alarm by the Kimbugwe, the leading Roman
Catholic chief, sending a party of men to destroy all
his bhang pipes. These men had burned one of the
king's houses and killed four men. That night, he
asked for a Protestant guard to stand over his place.
The Roman Catholics then came to our party, pro-
posing to depose the king and put one of Kalema's
sons, his nephew, on to the throne. To this the
Protestants would not agree. Mwanga was bad, but
what could they hope from a boy who had been in
training at the Roman Catholic station of Bukumbe,
near Usambiro ? Accordingly, the king saw that the
time was come for the weather-cock to shift. He
was not, however, to be allowed to change his
religion so easily. The French Bishop, the plan of
deposing him being frustrated, thought that it would
never do to lose the king from the Papist party, and
went out and put the enormity of his sin before him,
exhorting him to come to confession. ' First,' said
Mwanga, * I must have a present. My men have
been killed, and my house burned.' * All right,* says
Monseigneur, ' you shall have forty tusks of ivory.'
* As soon as I get them,' says the king, *you shall
confess me.' Captain Lugard reached Mengo on
December 31st, and we at once felt the position of
the Company secure in the country. We had heard
news a little before, that the English papers were
talking of the probable early withdrawal of the
Company from Uganda, and, about the same time,

CIVIL WAR. 173

arrived a fresh party of French priests, who, it is
evident, gave this information to their people, repre-
senting to the king that this was only a trading
Company, and that it would be against their
interests to fight; and, further, that if they were
about to withdraw, and if the Roman Catholic party
held out a little longer, they would soon have every-
thing their own way. You will see, as I go on, how
this gave great confidence again to the king, and caused
him, so far, to defy the power of the Company as to
challenge them to fight him.

On Friday, January 22nd, about mid-day, we
heard three or four shots fired quite close by, and
reports came in to say a Protestant had been
murdered by the Roman Catholics. The Protestants
immediately went to report the matter to Captain
Lugard, also telling him that the Roman Catholics
were guarding the body and refused them leave to
take it away for burial. Lugard immediately left to
see the king, when he was kept waiting for two
hours — in itself a great insult to a Commissioner of
the Queen. At last, he was taken in to the king,
who professed ignorance of the whole occurrence,
and asked the chiefs sitting round to tell him the
whole story. Lugard said that before he could hear
anything, the body must be removed, for it was a
disgrace to the king and his country. A Roman
Catholic and Protestant were immediately sent off
to remove the body. Captain Lugard, too, reminded
the king how that, when he had first come to the
country, he had told him that, owing to the state of
affairs and that a murder vvQuld probably cause civil

174 PILKINGTON OF UGANDA.

war, any murderer must be executed. The king said
he remembered all this, and that the words were
very good. Captain Lugard, not feeling well after
his long waiting in the sun, left Du Wallah, a
Somali in whom he places great confidence, to be
present at the subsequent trial. The man was
brought in, and told the following story : — His gun
had been stolen from him by one of the Katikiro's
men, and he had taken his case before the Katikiro,
who had promised to see his gun restored, if his
story should be proved true. Two or three days
elapsed without anything being done, and then this
man thought that, as he had not been given another
gun, he had better try and take one from the Protestants
by force. Accordingly, he made a regular plot. He
bought some beer and sat in his gateway offering it
for sale — the plan being to take the gun from the
first Protestant who should offer to buy it. He had
several companions ready to help him, and two men
inside his fence with loaded guns. A man presently
came by, and came up to buy the beer, asking first
to taste it. An argument then arose, and a man
slipped behind him, seized his gun, and the whole
party rushed into the fence. The Protestant and
his friends followed, and were fired on by the two
men with guns inside, one shot killing the man.
The Protestant fired one shot without effect. The
king, on hearing that the thief had been followed
into his fence, said that he was, by the law of Uganda,
justified in the subsequent murder, and that the
prisoner must be set at liberty. It was late before
Du Wallah returned, but early next morning he was

CIVIL WAR. 17S

sent back with a note, asking the king to reconsider
this decision, and telling him that, if he persisted in
it, he would lead his country into war. For some
time Du Wallah was not admitted, but he insisted
on delivering the letter into the king's own hand.
With the king were the Kimbugwe, the Kauta, and
the Musalosalo, all leading Roman Catholic chiefs.
The latter read the letter to the king, and when he
came to Lugard's words about probable war if
this decision was adhered to, the king caught him
up, saying, 'What's that he says about war ? Let
him come and fight, if he will ' ; and all the others
began to laugh at Du Wallah. Du Wallah told the
king that he was a Mohammedan, and that he had
no leaning to either Roman Catholics or Protestants,
but that he had never known such an obviously
unfair and rotten judgment given anywhere ; and that
he could assure the king that Captain Lugard had
done his best to avoid war and give justice to all
parties. ' What answer shall I take to my master?'
said Du Wallah. The Kauta said, ' Tell him that,
if he fights, we shall take all his wealth, and wipe out
the English from the country.' This was too much
for Captain Lugard to stand, and he sent to demand
the person of the murderer ; if he were given up,
the insulting message would be pardoned. Our
people went to the king, and asked him why, when,
in an exactly similar case, one of the Mugema's
men had killed a Roman Catholic, the Mugema had
been fined ? The king talked about exchanging
bodies, and so being quits. No, said our men, we
have other grievances besides this for which we have

176 PILKINGTON OF UGANDA.

never had justice at all. Captain Lugard, the king
and Roman Catholics seeming determined to defy him,
resolved at last on stringent measures. On Saturday
night, some 500 rifles were served out to the Protes-
tant leaders for distribution, and a large quantity of
ammunition ; for even then Lugard hoped that it
would not be necessary for him personally to
interfere.

On Sunday, the 24th, of course services were out
of the question. The Katikiro had been told by the
Roman Catholics that if the Protestants did not
fight they were a pack of cowards ; and further, in
the morning, as Roscoe had Sembera Mackay and a
few others at a Bible Reading, we heard shots, the
outcome of which we soon heard had been the
murder of a man belonging to the Katikiro. Further
Bible-reading was abandoned, and soon our whole
place was deserted. We went off to have a short
English service together; before we had finished
Sembera came, summoning us to go up to the fort,
for both sides were all prepared for fighting. We,
however, refused unless sent for officially by Captain
Lugard, and, even when he did send for us, we said
that we could not consent to go and leave all our
things. He kindly sent forty men, and, after a
quarter of an hour's hurried packing, we were off
about twelve o'clock to Kampala. At the market-
place we met Sembera, who, on hearing that most
of our goods were still left behind, said he should go
off and find a guard for the station. About 12.30
we arrived at the camp, and as we were quietly
sitting in the house we heard four guns. Lugard

CIVIL WAR.

177

had previously sent demanding the original murderer,
the murderer of the morning, and the Kauta, who
had sent the insulting message, to be all given up.
The man who had murdered the Katikiro's man was
sent in, and a soldier of the Company who had been
captured in the morning escaped. The Kauta refused

i^

ni^z-'^p^mm

Rough plan of the capital, marking the chief centres.

to come, and the first murderer could not be given
up at all. Well, so anxious was Captain Lugard to
avoid war that he had sent a further message
demanding only the first murderer to be given up,
and other affairs would be overlooked, when these
four gunshots sent us all flying out to seek the cause.
N

178 PILKINGTON OP UGANDA.

We saw smoke over at the foot of Mengo, close by
Mr. Stokes's garden, and soon other shots followed
in a regular fusillade, and we could see the Papists
fleeing before the Protestants. On the top of
Rubaga Hill was some sharp fighting, and soon the
Roman Catholic new church and houses were in one
immense blaze, and the Protestants pushing on down
the farther side of the hill towards the king's fences.
All this while the camp Maxims were silent, Captain
Lugard having decided not to interfere unless an
attack was made on the fort. Presently we saw a
large body of men coming down the opposite hill
from the Kimbugwe's at the double, obviously making
for the fort, and now the Maxims both opened a
deadly fire. The Roman Catholics stopped and
stared round, not knowing who or what was
attacking, but when they realised that it was the
cannon, they turned round and ran like rabbits in
amongst the bananas. We hsar some forty were
killed by these first volleys from the Maxims, and
and the Kimbugwe and Kauta were wounded in the
former's house, where they thought no gun could
reach them. These men rallied at the top of the
hill, and, joined by the men of the Musalosalo,
managed to drive back the Katikiro and burn his
house. Countless houses were now in flames, and
one could scarcely see for the smoke. The Katikiro
retreated on Kampala, and now Captain Lugard
sent out Captain Williams with the Sudanese
soldiers, who soon settled matters — the Katikiro's
men and Pokino's re-formed behind him, and they
went on burning: all the Roman Catholic houses and

CIVIL WAR. 179

driving the Papists far away towards the Lake.
Leniency alone prevented them from driving them
right into the water. The Protestants were vic-
torious, the king's flag had been hauled down, but
deep sorrow had come to us — the very first guns
fired had killed Sembera Mackay, our best and ablest
man and most deeply-taught Chiistian. He had
gone to find a guard for our place, and, as he was
passing some houses where some of the king's
slaves lived, he was shot at and died almost imme-
diately— dear, brave Sembera, whom every one
loved, and of whom I never heard a disparaging
word, has entered into his reward — and we are left
to sorrow over his loss, and to trust our God to
supply his place. Two other Church elders have
been wounded, and two Protestant chiefs, one badly
so. The doctors have their hands full every day
now, and I expect never had such work before.
Rubaga Hill had been taken by the Mugema and
Pokino, together with the Mwanika — they were
never once repulsed, but carried everything before
them. It had been impossible to bring the priests
over to the fort, and their station was manned by
Roman Catholic chiefs who made a determined
resistance ; one of their black Hausa doctors, who
foolishly fought in person, was shot dead. The
priests were all conducted to the fort the same
evening, their place being a total wreck.

We returned the same evening to our station, the
whole of the Roman Catholics having fled. The
king, with some 300 guns, had fled to the small
island of Burungugi, just half a mile from the shore.

180 PILKINGTON OF UGANDA.

about two hours from Mengo. Here he had his store
and had sent all his wives and wealth, and here
it was that the Christians so long withstood the
Mohammedans. Here they thought that they were
quite safe, remembering the unsuccessful attacks of
the Mohammedans. The great object, of course, of
the Company was now to get hold of the king and
restore him to his throne, knowing that he was a
mere puppet, and, if once in their hands, would do
all they told him — of course they did not want the
old chiefs back again, but the king alone. They
sent several messages asking him to return, but he
sent back to say that he wished to come but was
guarded and unable to escape. Friday morning the
French Bishop came to say he wished to leave the
fort, but Lugard refused him several times officially.
At last he came to say that unless he was forcibly
detained he should go, for these were his orders from
Rome. Accordingly, he went with all the priests
except two, who, however, followed soon afterwards.
He promised Lugard to persuade the king to
return, and pass on himself to Sese, and when
there do all he could to protect Mr. Bagge,
who is daily expected back with the boat, and
also to send messages to Budu to his people
to protect Ashe, Walker, and Smith, who are there
at Masaka. He did none of these things, but went
to the king, and he, abetted by Kisali, a blacksmith,
a former pupil of Mackay, against the wish of all
the Roman Catholic priests and chiefs, refused the
king permission to return to Mengo. Does it not
seem as if the French Mission is just God's

CIVIL WAR. 181

appointed instrument to complete the confusion of
Rome here in Uganda ? He, moreover, sent to
Lugard to come with his Maxim and kill all the
Roman Catholics on the island and then he might
get the king ! Little, I expect, did he think that
this would be so literally done. Yesterday, at
10 a.m.. Captain Williams marched out with one of
the Maxims and some hundred soldiers, together
with the majority of the Protestant party ; he hid
his force on the Lake shore in the trees, watching
his opportunity. Presently two women of the
king's came off to get food in a canoe, and he sent
out two soldiers to take them prisoners; the canoe-
men, seeing this, made off to inform the people on
the island. Two of the French priests camped on
the beach of the island now came out and fired at
the soldiers. These shots and the report of the
canoe-men soon brought all the Roman Catholics
to the shore, and some entered some of the canoes
to come across and recover the women, evidently
thinking that only a few peasants had seized them.
Meanwhile, Williams had his Maxim brought into
position, and I expect they were surprised at the
warm reception they met with — the people on shore
were quickly fleeing, and eleven canoes were sunk.
On the first noise of firing, the French Bishop went
to the king, and when he ascertained that it was
really the camp soldiers, he got into the king's one
canoe, and they made off together, and we hear are
now in Sese Island. The paddlers, on the first
noise of shots, had all made off, and thus the
Roman Catholic party were left absolutely without

182 PILKINGTON OF UGANDA.

canoes. Many tried to make rough rafts of reeds
and leaves, which quickly sank. The Mujasi, one
of the principal Roman Catholic chiefs, fought
furiously, and finally hid himself amongst the trees,
and has not yet been found. The Kangao was
killed, and a great number of the Roman Catholics,
but not one man of ours was so much as wounded.

The camp and people are making every exertion
to recover the king, who they feel sure is kept back
against his will. If it should prove impossible to
get him, the Mohammedan King Mbogo, Mutesa's
brother, will be invited in as king. The people are
very strong on royalty, and would prefer Mwanga
back to anybody else, in spite of all his failings."

A letter of Pilkington's, dated April ist, tells of
the King's return, " having given the Roman
Catholics the slip," and so he says, " there is a
prospect of peace and security and firm government."
With regard to the result, he continues in the same
letter, " the rejoicing here is tremendous. I hope
the work won't suffer for all this political success ;
however, it has been God's doing. You know very
well that this is not the sort of thing we count
success, or care for, except in so far as it opens the
door for the Gospel. . . . The English flag at last
is really hoisted on Mengo."

Reference has already been made to the serious
loss to the Mission caused by the death of Sembera
. Mackay.

Pilkington's letter about him furnishes us with
such a beautiful instance of his power of sympathy,
and of the brotherly relations existing between him

CIVIL WAR. 183

and his African colleagues, that with it we may fitl}
close this sad story of civil war in Uganda.

"Namirembe, Uganda,

25th January, 1892.

Dearest Mother, —

I must write to you to-night, though I can
hardly see for tears, and my heart is bursting with
sorrow. Our faithful friend, our dear, dear Brother,
Sembera, was shot yesterday ; awful day. The very
hrst to fall ; fittest for death ; God took him.
Praise to His Name, but we are left bereaved. Oh,
Mother, you don't know how I loved him, and love
him still with all my soul ; everyone loved him ; the
best, the bravest, the noblest, the wisest. Never to
see his kind face in this world again, or hear his
cheery voice, and I was safe in Kampala ; I couldn't
even bid him good-bye for the last time. But good-
bye or no, God was with him, for he walked with God.

Our joy, our comfort, our right hand is gone ;
praise be to God who gave us such a treasure for a
while, and now has taken it to Himself; but it is
hard to flesh and blood. He is a loss greater than
any almost I can think cf to our work here; he was
respected by both parties, and his humble, useful,
consistent life has been, and will be, an eloquent
sermon on the grace of God. God will not suffer
His Work to suffer,

* But O for the touch of a vanish'd hand,
And the sound of a voice that is still.'

His is the joy of meeting with his Lord ; ours is the

184 PILKINGTON OF UGANDA.

pain, and the sure and certain hope of glory. His
dear name is written for ever on my heart.

He leaves a wife and a baby girl — one of his boys
has asked to be with me. His last words were :
* God is taking my soul.' I won't in this letter, or
now, write of the other events of that sad day.
This letter is, alas ! heavy enough, when it has this
one burden to bear, that * a prince and a great man
has fallen to-day in Israel.'

Your loving son,

G. L. PiLKINGTON."

CHAPTER X.

LANGUAGE STUDY.

The war over, the next few months afforded
splendid opportunities for working at the language.
As, however, the strain of recent events had been
rather great, Pilkington was persuaded to take a
holiday, of which he gives the following realistic
description : —

" It was on Saturday, 26th March, that I started for
our ' country seat ' by the Lake (if I may so call it) ;
it is called Kuihve, and is a peninsula running out
into the Lake, pretty well due south of Mengo.

As I was going partly for change — except for my
visit to Sowe, you remember, I've been in the capital
for fifteen months— I didn't intend to rough it more
than I could help, and so I took, not only our
donkey (ours is admittedly the best in the country,
his only rival, also ours, had to be left, alas ! to the
tender mercies of the Roman Catholics in Budu), but
also one of my cows and its calf; for, in this
country, a calfless cow is unmilkable ; I wish, by-
the-way, father would send me directions thereanent
(as John Paton says in his most delightful book,
which I've been again reading with renewed pleasure)

iW

186 PILKINGTON OF UGANDA.

when and how should a calf be taken from its
mother ?

You will like to hear what I took with me exactly.
Let me tell you, by way of loads. My porters con-
sisted of a Muganda, whom I asked from his master,
James Kabuga, late Mission servant ; three boys of
Ashe's, whom he was kind enough to lend me ; and
two boys of my own — six in all. The loads were :
(i) a large bag containing blankets (three of them,
Jaeger's), a mattress, a mosquito net, a change of
clothes, pyjamas, towel, soap, brushes, etc, ; this was
carried by the Muganda. (2) My tin writing-desk,
which contained besides writing materials, tea,
coffee, sugar, saccharine, quinine, pills, anchovy paste,
a little cheese, a little fresh butter in two small
Liebig pots, some needles and cotton for use and
also for presents (a fine needle is worth twenty shells,
a coarse one fifteen; by-the-way, I'll try and send
you some Uganda needles in this letter), and some
fish-hooks. (3) A bucket, containing knife, fork,
spoon, cup, jug, with some home-made bread, wheat
and Indian corn mixed, made into a kind of toast or
biscuit by a second turn in the oven (you know my
oven is a large native pot inverted, with a bonfire of
grass on the top), and some broken biscuit of the
kind that, at Uppingham, we called ' dog-rocks,'
but which are a considerable luxury out here. (4)
An iron basin, containing a kettle and a saucepan,
with a folding chair ; the two remaining boys carriei
my three water bottles (which I filled with milk),
and looked after the donkey and cow and calf. I
actually started from Ashe and Walker's place; they

LANGUAGE STUDY. 187

are living in what was the place of a Roman Catholic
whom I knew well, and in whom I was, and am,
rather interested. He told me that he was a Roman
Catholic because it was they who followed the
teaching of the New Testament, e.g., * Where was
the cross that we took up in following Jesus ? ' I
told him that, if he convinced me of that, I, too,
would become a Roman Catholic, as there was no
other authority we followed but the Word of God.
We have had a little correspondence since the war,
and, in his letter, he asks me where our Fold is,
and where is our Shepherd ? However, this is a
digression.

Walker, as I started, proved himself a true prophet
of evil when he warned me that my newly-cobbled
boots would not hold out. (I've turned cobbler of
late ; mended my dear old Jaeger boots with buffalo
hide, only the soles of them. Jaeger boots are the
best for Africa ; this would do for an advertisement !)

At last, we are off — loads in front, cow and calf,
donkey, boy, and, last of all, myself. It was a lovely
walk through a sort of country lane, sweet smelling
trees every now and again making the air very
pleasant ; then up some hill-side, from the top of
which a splendid view of Lake, creek, and island is
visible ; then along the side of a valley, with the rich
banana plantations crowding up on each side from
the wooded valley below ; then down into the valley,
where there is a scrap of what I suppose a tropical
forest is like on a more extensive scale ; and then
through a river, or rather a marsh, which stretches,
perhaps, half-a-mile in width, and for which the

188 PILKINGTON OF UGANDA.

donkey comes in very useful, unless some strong
and not too lazy Baganda happens to be at hand to
take one over; it is really amazing how these men
carried me, who am no light weight — I expect I'm
as heavy now as ever I was. I mount on the
shoulders of one, who kneels down to receive me ;
with the help of a second, he stands up, and then up
to his middle in water, and up and down banks three
feet in height, he carries me alone.

I stopped half-way, and had some refreshment in
the way of milk, bread and butter, and cheese. Then
on again, not waiting for the mid-day sun to go
down at all, for I wanted to be in early, that a house
and some sort of a bed might be got ready for me. I
was now going along by the Lake shore, and in a
couple of hours, it was evident that we were on a
peninsula, about a mile broad, runnmg out into the
Lake. It was like a park, the soil was very rocky
and sandy ; in consequence the grass was short and
light for this country, and not unlike a rather poor
meadow at home ; clumps of trees were sprinkled
about in a very pretty way, some of the trees rather
like laurel (a thing which I hate), which greatly
increased the artificial appearance of the place ; the
Lake that bounded it added to the effect. Here, I
rode the donkey for a bit, while my boy Serukwaya,
quite of his own accord, carried the tired calf; we
were the only two who needed either milk or a lift.

At last, we have reached our destination ; it is not
yet three o'clock, I should think (a watch that will
go has long been a thing of the past with me).
Kudumusinayi, one of the two tenants, though each

LANGUAGE STUDY. 189

has several under him, and underiings of underlings
also abound, gives me a warm welcome. I knew
him as our tenant at Natete.

My boys and I are allotted a small round house,
not as big as an average Irish cabin, and yet the
seven of us slept and lived there very comfortably for
three days. I found the house with a hole in the
roof, the floor deep covered with ancient grass and
dust, and a very suspicious bed in the corner !
Suspicious, in that I fancied that many creatures
other than human slept in it.

However, when I came back from a short explora-
tion of our property, I found the hole mended, the
floor swept, and a very nice bed in the course of
erection. I also found quite a crowd collected to
see me ; I tried to make friends with them, and
invited them to a Service in the morning. Then I
had food — coffee, plantains, potatoes, fish, and
bread and butter. They also cooked in profusion
for my boys. Next morning, about fifty, nearly
all men, came to the service. I read and ex-
plained and made them say the Ten Command-
ments, and then pointing out how we could not
establish our own righteousness, tried to show them
what Jesus had done for us ; then we had the
Commandments as in the Communion Service, and
a few Prayers.

I was told that many of the fishermen still believe
that if they take a book in their hands, immediately
all the fish will die; I told them of the quantities
of fish I had seen caught on the North Sea ; was it
only the Uganda fish that dreaded books ?

190 PILKINGTON OF UGANDA.

I had another Httle Service in the afternoon, and
then went coasting along for a bit in a canoe, and
visited a remarkable cave on the end of a long, low-
lying, narrow peninsula : the rock which formed
the cave was twenty feet high, and covered with
trees and creepers, making a very pretty object as
seen from a sandy piece of beach, near which I want
to get a house built, that will receive any of us who
might go to teach or for a change ; of course it
would be part of the people's business to build for
us, either there or at the Capital.

The trees on the island were, some of them,
magnificent; three kinds of fruit grow there —
empafu, something between plums and olives ;
ensali, something like a very acid cherry, and
eroyidu, not unlike sloes ; there is also some coffee.
I saw lots of monkeys, crocodiles, and hippos.

On the Monday, I visited each house in the place ;
men, women, and children, might reach, perhaps,
200 , if the ground were full cultivated, i,ooo might
be supported there.

If only the reading sheets and other books would
come soon ; among all these people, five only, I
think, had books at all.

I came back on Tuesday, just in time to see the
king return, to inaugurate, I hope, a new era in his
strange and eventful reign. In writing in detail as I
have done, I have this special object : I wish, when
the country is quiet, to undertake some itinera-
ting work, in Kyagwe especially, which is the
province between this and the Nile ; possibly
in the Islands too. You will, from this account, be

LANGUAGE STUDY. 191

able to understand a little better how I am likely to
live while engaged in this sort of work, which,
however much I appreciate the privilege and the
need of translational work, is what I came for most
of all, and which is, moreover, indispensable if the
translation is to be done properly."

In April, news was received of the death of Mr. de
Winton, son of Sir Francis de Winton, in Toro.
Pilkington felt his loss keenly, as the following
words shew : " We were all of us here, I know, very
fond of him ; he was a most delightful companion.
He brightened many an evening in this house, and
I spent many a pleasant hour with him when he
was alone at Kampala. I was the invalid then ;
and he would keep me interested for hours to-
gether with stories of his American and other
experiences.

It is hard to believe that I shall never hear his

cheery voice again in this world He didn't

hide his light, but was known by the others at
Kampala, and, indeed, by the Christians here, as a
Christian man ; he sometimes came to our Luganda
service in the morning, and often to the Lord's
Supper."

It is hard to over-estimate the value of such
a man holding an official position in the Mission
Field.

On his return to the Capital, Pilkington devoted
himself once more to his translational work, and on
June 2nd, 1892, he wrote at some length to Mr. Lang,
giving some description of the progress of his work.

192 PILKIXGTON OF UGANDA.

and offering some valuable suggestions as the im-
portant subject of Language Study : —

" I have two or three matters connected with
translation and language, that I have for some time
wished to write to you about, and I take this
opportunity, as, having had fever twice lately, the
Doctor recommends me not to do so much trans-
lation as I have been doing, and so I'll write this
letter instead. The first point is about the trans-
lation of the New Testament in particular ; in ten
days or so, if nothing occurs to hinder my work, I
should finish Corinthians. Hebrews is finished, —
the New Testament will then be all translated.
Gordon took the Gospels, and Acts. Ashe, I believe,
translated i John ; and I shall have sent the rest,
when Hebrews and Corinthians shall have gone. I
am afraid you may think that the work has
been too quickly done to have been well done. I
want to explain to you how this is not really the
case. There never was anyone who more than I
entered into other men's labours. I found several
men, H. W. Duta far ahead of them aH, with a
good knowledge of the whole New Testament ; they
knew Swahili, and were thoroughly practised in trans-
lating from Swahili into Luganda ; there were none
of the ordinary difficulties of searching for words to
translate the important terms and phrases of the
Gospel ; these were not only at hand, but so far
stereotyped by extensive use, that any radical
changes, had I wished to make them, could hardly
have been justifiable. This fact made the work
possible, and it also makes me hope that the trans-

LANGUAGE STUDY. 193

latlon (thanks not to me, but to my predecessors
and to the Waganda themselves), is a better one
than a first translation into a new language generally
can be ; it has been, really, beaten out during many
years by the best brains among the Waganda them-
selves, with the help of Mackay, Ashe, Gordon,
Walker, and the others who have been here. So
you see there were exceptional facilities. I think
there was also an exceptional need, for I should
think there was hardly ever so large a body of
Christians, in modern days, so eager to learn, for so
long a time with only one book of the Bible in their
own tongue, and that in such limited quantities.
There is a special reason, too, which makes me long
for Luganda books : the idea has gained ground
that — as no can know much of Christianity without
being able to read, and knowing Swahili — therefore,
reading, and a knowledge of Swahili makes a man a
Christian — nothing will quite eradicate this notion,
I think, but books in Luganda. There is one defect
in the translation, which is at the same time, I
think, a merit in a first translation : I have not
always translated, or tried to translate, the same
Greek word by the same Luganda ; I preferred, in
the present state of my knowledge, to leave the
question open by translating it variously ; better
leave the decision till the time when we shall be in
a position to be sure that the selected translation
is the best. There is another defect which, I'm
afraid, could not • and cannot be remedied — the use
of one Luganda word for two or three different
Greek ones ; for, of course, Luganda, though a very
o

194 PILKINGTON OF UGANDA.

rich language, may happen to be weak just where
Greek is strong ; we have used one word for the
Greek meHna, yjrvxn (in sense of soul), and KapSia —
the word for * spirit,' was one of those stereo-
typed words I spoke of, and I never thought of
changing it (Ashe, however, the other day, said it
was still not too late — but I think it is) — otherwise,
I think I should have preferred a word meaning

* air ' or * wind,' to the word chosen, which simply
means soul or spirit in a metaphysical sense, and
has no material meaning. Again, the word for

* to love ' and * to will ' is the same in Luganda ;
hence, * according to the will of God ' might mean

* the love of God.' Again, for ' to accept ' and

* to believe,' there is only one word. I had in-
tended not to attempt much of the Old Testament,
until I had gone home and read Hebrew, but lately,
I have started at the Psalms and Joshua. Joshua
is finished (but I want to go through it with Henry),
and about fifty of the Psalms. About half of
Genesis and Exodus is done, too ; but I have to go
over this again. Before I get an answer to this
letter, I am likely, if the Lord will, to get the
Pentateuch and a good deal of the Historical Books
translated. I should like to know what you think
of this, i.e., my doing it without the Hebrew.
There is another even more important matter that
I wished to write about. I don't think the Com-
mittee can realize how much difficulty most men
have in learning these African languages, else I
don't think they would send men, not specially
qualified, into a country where the language is not

LANGUAGE STUDY. 195

known. I believe that it's, in most cases, worse
than useless sending a man who has not had special
training in language and the theory of it, to such a
place ; it is awfully trying to himself, physically and
spiritually ; at the same time, very discouraging ;
and I cannot but strongly suspect that it would
account for a good many promising careers cut
short. The long period that must elapse, before
such a man can express to the natives the object
which has brought him there, must surely cause a
host of misconceptions on their part ; his apparently
luxurious life — as it is to them — must surely give
them very misleading ideas which for years the
Missionary can't correct. It isn't enough to send a
man of ordinary all-round education ; he ought to
have made a special study of language — that is,
thoroughly compared the structure of any two
languages ; and, besides that, he ought to know
Steere's book (except the vocabularies) absolutely,
so as to know the skeleton of a Bantu language.
I beg to respectfully suggest to the Committee to
appeal specially for such men — Cambridge men, e.g.,
who have at least got a Second in Classics ; and,
further, that Stations, where a new language has to
be learnt, should not be opened till such men be
forthcoming, as otherwise great expense will be
incurred and perhaps more harm done than good.
The language once mastered and a grammar written,
men with less aptitude for languages, but, perhaps,
far better Missionaries can step in and, without
unnecessary loss of precious time and health,
begin work. But to send such a man up in the

196 PILKINGTON OF UGANDA.

first instance, what a sad waste ! I assure you, the
majority of the men whom I've seen in the field
closely, wouldn't learn a new language without help
in twenty years. If you doubt this, write a circular
to the Missionaries, asking them how long
they suppose they would be learning a new
language without any sort of help from books. I
expect the average would put down ten years. I
hope I don't seem to be puffing the facility which I
have in learning a language : after all the years I've
spent on the subject, I should be a duffer if I hadn't
profited at all by it; what have I that I haven't
received ? But I assure you I am prompted to
write this by the earnest desire to see the Gospel
preached to all nations, an object which I am
convinced will only be retarded by sending men
not specially trained in language to new stations in
the first instance. If men, interested in language,
knew what a magnificent field this is, they might
come for that reason ; but I had rather they came
for the Gospel's sake — but the other reason might
do as a counterpoise to fever, journeys, and other
annoyances."

Commenting in another place on the need of
trained men for language work, Pilkington writes —

" Let those who are sometimes inclined to feel
that the years spent on Greek and Latin were
partially wasted come out here, and in one short
year I venture to say they will have * redeemed the
time ' so spent. Do any such think they are too
good for Africa ? If so, may God forgive them a
thought so presumptuous and silly ! They will get

LANGUAGE STUDY. 197

no higher returns on any abilities, spiritual,
intellectual, physical, which God has given them
for investment, than they will get in Africa, and,
perhaps, especially here. Every qualified worker
might be the means, in God's hands, of sending
out in a few years time, say twenty, well-taught,
spiritual, zealous Baganda as missionaries to the
surrounding nations — each one of them in many
ways far superior to an English missionary. Would
not this repay any labour, any loss ? The
evangelization of Africa is visible from Uganda.
How long it is to be before it shall be an
accomplished fact Christian England must decide."

At this time he was working at a Root dictionary,
of which he writes as follows : —

" I aim at 20,000 words. I don't think I shall
find this difficult. Luganda is a very wealthy
language. I think it will be necessary to go in for
a little Luyima (or Kituse) and Lusoga to do the
root work perfectly. These three languages are
barely more than dialects and throw enormous
light on one another. So does Swahili, but to a
much smaller extent. I have also written, some
time ago, for a Zulu grammar, as I have reason to
think (I have a Zulu Prayer Book) this language
very closely allied to Luganda.

I am very hopeful — from the slight investigations
I have been able to make into Lusoga and Luyima
— that a single Bible will do for these two countries,
and Uganda, as well as Unyoro (I expect). The
idea (once entertained, I believe) that Swahili would
do for th«se countries is a mere dream. It would

198 PILKINGTON OP UGANDA.

be about the same thing as trying to introduce
German into England. Luganda is entirely
different from and superior to Swahili. Out of a
considerable number of Lusoga words I have got,
five, I think, in every ten, are identical with
Luganda, four the same root, modified, perhaps, and
with a different prefix, and one a totally different
word, although often a word which also occurs in
Luganda but in a different sense. In the Root
dictionary, I hope to be able to include (by a simple
system of signs that won't, I think, interfere with
its usefulness and handiness for Luganda) a good
many Lusoga and Luyima and Lunyoro words —
the roots being identical in so many cases, this will
not be difficult in a Root dictionary; and where they
differ they do so by regular changes.

It would be well still to have a Vocabulary on the
old system, as in Steere's book, for beginners,
containing the words in everyday use only.

My own belief is that a thorough knowledge of
the language must be gained if Uganda is to be the
great centre of civilization and teaching which I
cannot but suppose the Committee expect it to be.
, . . In order to give you a better idea of what
I propose to do in the Dictionary, I give a couple
of roots worked — good specimens of course; you
mustn't suppose that all roots are equally prolific,
but I think you will admit these to be very pretty.

Three thousand such roots would give a very

ample vocabulary." (For specimen quoted above see p. 199.)

A little later he describes the eagerness ot the
people to obtain books.

LANGUAGE STUDY. 199

Specimen of Luganda Roots.

•* We have been selling books (Matthews, Prayer
Books, and reading books, 130, 180, and 600
respectively) to-day and yesterday. How shall I
describe it ? Feeding the lions at the Zoo, a scramble
of street boys for coppers, perhaps a distribution of
food in famine time, these are the things suggested

200 PILKINGTON OF UGANDA.

The people who came with shells to buy and went
away empty were twice as many as those who
received books, and then this is only one place in
this large country; and further, it is not easy to
collect shells on one day's notice. What we want
are books, not thousands, but millions of books.
I should like to see ^TSjOOO spent at once on printing
and sending up of books ; this would be a glorious
way of advancing God's Kingdom.

All day long the place has been crowded with
people who refuse to believe that there are no more
books. How would you feel if at a Christmas
party the tea and cake ran so short that only one in
every five got anything at all ? I feel something
like that. And yet these books are of more value
to these starving souls than are tea and cake to a
starving child. I wish you could run a long pin
into every one at home who's asleep and won't wake
up to help us. It's disgraceful the way we've been
left without books — simply dreadful. I trust and
hope and pray that better times are coming. In
other places, money and energy is spent in trying to
get people to buy and read (or even take) the Bible ;
but here, be the reason what you will, the wild desire
to read and possess a book has seized the whole
country. If we don't supply the demand the
Roman Catholics will."

Two letters from George to his mother, written in
August and September, besides giving some account
of the progress of the work in Uganda, deal with
some interesting questions which came before hin\
at this time.

LANGUAGE STUDY. 201

"Namirembe, Mengo,

Sunday, 7th August, 1892.

In Buganda itself, things are going on quietly.
The new Church — really a magnificent building that
impresses you like a Cathedral — was opened last
Sunday. The king came, and a vast congregation,
enough to fill the Church twice, not much short, I
think, of 10,000 people. I read the Bishop's letter,
Henry and Nikodemo preached. This morning
there was a congregation of 3,000 or 4,000, I think ;
Church not quite full, and I preached on Matthew
22, and we had Communion to which about 100

people stayed

However, the news from Busoga is very alarming.
Wakoli (where Smith is), was shot by one of the
Company's coast men (originally a Musoga),
whether by accident or not nobody knows. Smith
had the narrowest possible escape with his life ;
forty Waganda, we are told, were murdered.
Captain Williams, on hearing of it, immediately
set out with the Maxim and 170 men, on the day
that I came back from the Islands, 28th July. No
news from him yet.

. . . . One of the elders told me the other
day that we should never satisfy the demand for
books. More people begin reading day by day,
and month by month, than books come. Oh for
books 1 However, Ashe's printing press is doing a
great work.

I quite agree with you about
distinctions between secular and religious. To a
Christian man nothing should be secular; he is a

202 PILKINGTON OP UGANDA.

soldier on duty always (or neglecting it — never off
duty) ; to one who is not a Christian, nothing is
religious ; in this, as in everything, not that which
' entereth into a man ' from without, nothing ex-
ternal * defileth the man,' but that which comes
out of his heart, that ' defileth a man,' and a
man's heart is not visible to us. To his own
master, each servant stands or falls. I am no priest
to usurp that which is God's alone.

If a man wants to g© in for what are called
worldly pleasures, I can't see what good it would be
to hinder him ; if he tastes the pleasures which God
gives, the others drop off, as a dog drops a bit of
potato when you offer him a bone. There isn't
time for both. I say, let every man do according as
he is disposed in his heart. A man is what he is
disposed in his heart to be ; what he does is only a
symptom of what he is and of very trifling
importance comparatively — except as a symptom.
The Devil chained would be a Devil still. Even
when he appears as an Angel of light, he's still the
Devil.

At the same time, when I see a chap raking in a
muck heap, it's only common charity and common
sense to ask him what he finds there worth looking
for, and point to the crown. Not that I would
venture to say that I don't often have a rake at it
myself. When I do so, I hope I should be grateful
to anyone who showed me what a fool I was.

Don't imagine that I suppose that nobody does
God's will who is not a missionary or a preacher or
a ' professional Christian ' of some sort. Very far

LANGUAGE STUDY. 203

from it. * Let every man be fully persuaded in his
own mind.' * Whatsoever is not of faith is sin.'
Good-bye for to-night."

"9 p.m., Thursday, i8th August.
Mail goes to-morrow. Captain Williams back
from Busoga. Smith is all right; is at Luba's now."

"C.M.S.. Namirembe, Uganda,

3rd September, 1892.

... In spite of a good deal of fever lately, I've
been wonderfully strong and well; able to go up
every morning to the great church on the hill, where,
after the regular reading and prayers, I have a class
of seven elders ; then, while they teach seven classes
of candidates for baptism on the lines just given
them by me, I have a class of some twenty boys,
the most promising ones ; then I sing with a sort of
choir, which I have started. You will be surprised
that I should teach singing, but, as nobody else does
it, and they sing awfully badly, I do what I can. In
the afternoon, I translate with Henry — Exodus,
at present ; also I am writing, at the request of our
Committee here, a little book in Luganda of outlines
of Christian doctrine, which is meant to be a help to
Baganda teachers. . , . Luganda is ten times
as hard as Swahili ; true, Swahili is the easiest
language in the world to get a superficial knowledge
of, but Luganda is undoubtedly difficult.

My beans are growing splendidly. I have two
little broods of fowls (four and six respectively), one
hen sitting, and another laying ; six goats, nine
sheep, a ram, three lambs, a bull, fourteen cows and

204 PILKINGTON OF UGANDA.

eight calves, I think this a better way of keeping
my cloth (investing it in beasts) than keeping in my
house, where the dangers to it are so many.

The produce of my flocks and herds supports me.
Leopards are my bugbears.

The rennet powder works beautifully; milk in
various forms is my chief food; the other men despise
skim milk — I think it the thing for this country.
Whey is a great thing, too. . . . Don't be
afraid of my not taking care of my health ; I am a
perfect old woman, awfully afraid of a draught or
anything damp, over-exertion, or anything else — one
learns to be careful here — that is the most important
part of acclimatization, though, I believe, one does
get to some extent acclimatized besides. I am too
much interested in the work here to do anything
that might force me to leave it. I hope to live to
see the whole of Africa evangelized. If only Christian
England made an honest effort, it wouldn't take
many decades to do it. But England, I'm afraid, is
in earnest about one thing only — making money.

By the way, my flocks and herds above-mentioned
are altogether worth only about a load of cloth,
costing about £3 at the coast, and £y for carriage — •
total ;^io. Besides, four of the cattle and three of
the goats were presents. About 100 lbs. of common
washing soap would buy the whole lot."

A little later, he speaks of receiving some wheat
from the Katikiro, which he ground in a coifee mill,
and made brown bread with it, " besides first-rate
pancakes ; cakes and puddings occasionally ! "

LANGUAGE STUDY. 205

Another trip down the lake gave him another
change, and in November, 1892, he writes : —

"Uganda,

November 23rd, 1892.
I have just returned from a trip to Nassa, about
which I wrote to Mr. Lang, undertaken by the
advice of the brethren here. I am glad to say that
it has done me a great deal of good • and I feel as
well as possible. I got back on the i8th. I was
interested to find that the languages spoken all along
the West Coast of the Lake and on the Island of
Ukerewe are very close to Luyima (Kituse), the
language of the Wahuma, as Stanley, I think, calls
them. My Mwima boy could talk fluently with
them all and understand them. I felt this as an
additional reason for extension into the countries of
the Bayima, to the West of Uganda, Toro, etc. I
believe that this language, in different dialects, is
spoken over a greater area than Luganda. But, at
present, the miserable reinforcements of which we
hear, make me despair of extension even into Busoga,
where, as you know by this time, the work was
temporarily given up. I do not think that either the
Christian public or even the C.M.S. Committee have
grasped how great the need is here. There are vast
arrears of work to be done here ; vast numbers call
themselves Christians, and are regarded as such by
the people generally, who have not only no heart
religion, but riot even a knowledge of Christian
morality. What I fear is a widespread misconcep-
tion of the meaning of Christianity, if this state of

206 PILKINGTON OF UGANDA.

things continues. This calamity can be averted only
I venture to think, by an adequate supply of teachers,
and also of books ; at present, we have neither in
anything like the numbers needed. We already see
many sad instances of inconsistency, and, what is
worst of all, they are evidently not regarded as any-
thing very bad by the great bulk of the people ; I am
afraid that this will spread and corrupt the Church.
* Reading ' is getting, it seems to me, to be less and
less regarded as inconsistent with drunkenness and
fornication. Naturally enough, for now great
numbers are 'reading,' and few have renewed
hearts and therefore renewed lives. Individual work
is what is needed here, and this takes such a time.

It is wonderful, and yet, perhaps, not really so
when you consider that we are foreigners here, how
the Gospel, when preached to numbers even in the
simplest and plainest way, seems to be not under-
stood, or at any rate not realized, as a personal
matter.

I have quite failed to express how urgent, how
terrible seems to me the need of men."

It is clear from the above that the Missionaries
fully realized the dangers of a rapid spread of
Christianity in Uganda, and, if there have been
exaggerated ideas abroad of the progress of the
work, it has not been the fault of the Missionaries
who have all along told of discouragement as well
as success.

Just a month after the writing of this letter.
Bishop Tucker arrived for the second time in Uganda,
and his testimony as to Pilkington's gifts as an

LANGUAGE STUDY. 207

interpreter, and as to the progress of the work in
Uganda, form a valuable commentary on much that
has been already mentioned in this chapter. The
Bishop writes : —

** At about 4 p.m., to our great joy, our long and
weary journey of eighty-nine days was at an end,
and we were with our dear brethren at Mengo. A
heavy storm of rain had prevented people coming in
any large numbers to meet us, but, as the weather
cleared up, we were soon besic g;d with visitors. To
see the friends and brethren who, two years ago, had
travelled up from the coast with me was indeed a
great joy. Mr. Pilkington was looking the very
picture of health. Mr. Baskerville, too, was looking
very well, and enjoys, I am glad to think, excellent
health. After some refreshment, we went to see the
houses in which we are to live. They have been
built for us by our Native brethren. My house
astonished me. It is one of the largest in Buganda.
It has six rooms in it.

Christmas Day dawned, and verily it is a day
never to be forgotten. The thrill that went through
me when, two years ago, I addressed a congregation
of 1,000 souls in the old Church is still fresh in my
memory. If I was thrilled then, I was simply over-
whelmed yesterday when I stood up to speak in the
name of our Master to a congregation numbering
over 5,000 souls. I wonder whether, in the
whole mission-field, such a sight has been witnessed
since Apostolic days. The perfect stillness as I
stood up to speak, and indeed throughout the
service, was almost as awe-inspiring as the sight of

208 PILKINGTON OF UGANDA.

the great multitude itself. Mr. Pilkington inter-
preted for me, and it was quite evident that he
performed his task to perfection. In the afternoon,
a second service was held, and I suppose between
three and four thousand people must have been
present. At this service about thirty women were
baptized. Mr. Baskerville preached in Luganda.
Later in the afternoon, an English service was held.
At this service a larger number of Europeans were
present than have been gathered together before in
Uganda. Christmas Day was a trying day, but an
intensely joyful day — a day worth coming to the
ends of the earth to enjoy.

I have brought with me from the coast more than
8,000 portions of the Word of God. The delight of
the people is indescribable. Daily my house is
besieged by would-be purchasers. Last time when
books arrived, the eagerness to possess them was
such that there was danger of the house being
knocked down. It has therefore been decided to
sell them at different centres at one and the same
time. Those who come for books are therefore
turned away until the arrangements are complete
for the sale to go forward. Many more loads of
books are coming up by the old road, and I trust,
by our friends at home keeping up the supply, to
pour a constant stream of God's truth upon the
land."

CHAPTER XI.

THE FIRST MUTINY.

The early days of 1893 were great days in Uganda ;
six natives were ordained deacons on the under-
standing that they were to be supported by the
Native Church, and ten others were hcensed as lay
evangelists. In February, the Bishop held his second
Confirmation in Uganda ; of this he v^nrites: —

" Seventy-five were confirmed, all adults. This was
the first Confirmation in the new Church, or, as I
think I must call it, the Cathedral. For Central
Africa it is as wonderful a building as Durham
Cathedral is for England. There are nearly 500
trees used in it as pillars; some of them were
brought five and six days' journey and needed
several hundred men to carry them. The order and
decency of the services is most admirable. The
Confirniation was a much more reverent ceremony
than man)- which I have been at in England."

In March, Sir Gerald Portal, Imperial Commis-
sioner to Uganda, arrived in Mengo, and, on April ist,
the Company's flag was hauled down and the Union
Jack took its place, in token that Uganda was now
to be regarded as part of the British Empire. This
was intended, in the first place, to be a temporary
p aoi

210 PILKINGTON OF UGANDA,

measure, the final arrangement being announced to
Parliament in April, 1894.

During his stay in Uganda, the Commissioner was
chiefly occupied in seeking to arrange terms of
agreement between the rival factions in Uganda.
"With the assistance of Bishop Tucker and
Monseigneur Hirth, an arrangement of territory was
made which, it was hoped, would be satisfactory to
all parties. On May 30th, Sir Gerald Portal left for
the coast, Bishop Tucker leaving three days later by
the Southern route. He then wrote : " The position
of our friends is absolutely secure in our opinion."

How soon these hopes of peace were to be dis-
appointed is shown by the following letter from
Pilkington, dated Kampala, June 20th, 1893 : —

"You will see that something is up by the address,
Kampala ; we have had exciting times again these
last few days, but I am thankful to say that things
are, I think, all right again now; they might easily
have been anything but all right. First of all, so
that you may understand the events of the last few
days, let me explain the state of affairs. Captain
Lugard, you remember, brought some 500 Soudanese
soldiers with their ' Colonel,' Selim Bey — who had
mutinied at Wadelai under Emin Pasha — from the
North. He also brought in the Mohammedan party,
and gave them three small provinces lying close
together to the North-east of Budu. Since they
came into the country, they have done no work for
the king, as in duty bound.

Sir G. Portal, when here, insisted that they should
do their proper work, and told them that, if they

THE FIRST MUTINY. 211

refused, they would be driven out. They demanded an
increase of territory, as they saw that the Roman
CathoHcs, who also, hitherto, have done no work,
had received so large an increase. This was refused
by Sir G. Portal, and the attitude of the Mohamme-
dans had been threatening. However, Captain
Macdonald, who was left in charge on the Consul's
departure, made them promise to work about ten
days ago, and they sent to their country places for
men to come and work. However, our people
assured us that they did not mean to work, and were
only making this a pretext for getting up their guns,
as they said that Selim Bey (of course, the Soudanese
are Mohammedans and very thick with the Baganda
Mohammedans) had promised, and, indeed, we hear
now, sworn on the Koran, that, in case of war, he
would help the Mohammedans. This fort was
garrisoned by some loo of the Soudanese ; some 200
more, with Selim Bey, were at Ntebe, on the Lake,
some twenty-five miles from here ; and another 150
with Major Owen, away in the Toro forts. On
Saturday morning, 17th June, Captain Macdonald
came round to tell us that Selim Bey had sent him
a message, the night before, that nothing must be
done respecting the Mohammedans without con-
sulting him, and that if the king (Mwanga) fought
against the Mohammedans, he would be fighting
with him (the Bey), Captain Macdonald had, he
told us, decided to take the bull by the horns ; he
had sent for Messrs. Gedge and Reddie to come up
at once with their 100 Swahilis from Ntebe ; they
would be in that afternoon. He intended, at three

212 PILKINGTON OF UGANDA.

o'clock, to parade the Soudanese at the Fort as
usual and tell them that the Bey had mutinied, and
ask those who were for him (Captain Macdonald) to
go off to one side and those for the Bey to the other,
when he proposed disarming the latter; also he
intended to tell the Mohammedans that they must
give up their four leading chiefs as a pledge of their
peaceful intentions, by that evening, or he would
order the Protestants to attack them next morning.
So he wished us to go up to the fort at mid-day, that
the presence of a large number of Europeans might
overawe the Soudanese. He then went to the
French, who also agreed to come up.

So we went up ; the Soudanese all protested their
loyalty, and Captain Macdonald got the Moham-
medan chiefs and we thought it was all over. So
we went back to our places that Saturday night.

However, first thing on Sunday morning was a
note from Captain Macdonald, asking us to go over
at once. Gedge and Reddie had come in in the
night, and the Bey had told the latter that, in case
of war, he meant to help the Mohammedans. When
Reddie suggested that this might mean fighting
against the Europeans, he shrugged his shoulders.
So Captain Macdonald, considering the circum-
stances very serious, had decided to disarm the
Soudanese. As soon as we reached the fort, Captain
Macdonald asked me to translate the following into
Luganda, and to explain it to the Katikiro : —
' Whereas Selim Bey has mutinied, and whereas
the common law is not sufficient for the emergency,
I hereby declare that martial law is in force through-

THE FIRST MUTINY. 213

out this country of Uganda until further notice.' I
have missed out a few words defining the commor
law, but this gives the sense.

He then armed all the Swahilis, 150 or so, and us
Europeans, and put the Maxim gun in position, and
marched the Soudanese down below, and, after
explaining things to them in a speech, ordered them
to lay down their arms, which, thank God ! they did
at once.

Meanwhile, the excitement among the Baganda
was increasing ; the Mohammedans had brought up
300 or 500 guns in the night, and had already beaten
their war drums. I interpreted for Captain
Macdonald when he was speaking to Mbogo (the
late Mohammedan king, who had been kept at
Kampala all through), and the Mohammedan chiefs,
who had been given up on the previous day, so I can
tell you exactly what he told them. He told Mbogo
that all his men, with guns, must go off at once to
Natete, the Mohammedan quarter; that if all had
not gone by noon, he (Mbogo) would be responsible.
They all went, so Mbogo has saved himself.

He then told the three Mohammedan chiefs to
send to their people and order them back to their
country places, and that, if the Mohammedans
fought, he should shoot all three. They said that,
if one of their number went, the Mohammedans
would listen to him, but that they would not mind
a mere message. So one of them was allowed to
go on promise of return, but he never came back.
During this interview, Mbogo came, and in great
fear and almost with tears, upbraided Juma, the

214 PILKINGTON OF UGANDA.

chief of the Mohammedans, with writing to his
people to come up and fight, saying that he had
been against it all through.

About one o'clock, the Katikiro sent a message
that the Mohammedans were not going, so Captain
Macdonald sent a message to them by one of
Mbogo's men that he would be there in an hour
with the Maxim gun, and if he found them there he
would attack them. Twenty minutes later, we
heard the guns firing, in the Natete direction, and
we knew that war was inevitable. A few
minutes later, a message came from the Katikiro,
that the Mohammedans had attacked them, and
Captain Williams sent back the message, ' Dispose
of them all.' The next news was a wounded man,
whose boy told me that the Mohammedans were in
flight, and the pursuit was kept up right to the
boundary of the Mohammedan country. At mid-
day on the Monday, the Protestants (all the Roman
Catholics, led by the priests, had flitted on Saturday
night) came back to ask whether they should drive
the Mohammedans right out. Captain Macdonald
had intended and expected that they would do so,
but, as they had spared them of their own accord,
he told them to leave them and he would go down
and see their chiefs when he had finished matters at
Ntebe.

Messages were accordingly sent to those who had
not fought to stay quietly where they were, and the
Europeans would go down and see them and
arrange matters. I heard the Katikiro saying
yesterday to the king that they must do all they

THE FIRST MUTINY. 215

can to save them. I think that in this they have
showed themselves no unworthy disciples of their
God and Saviour ; in judgment, they have
remembered mercy ; in the flush of victory, with
the enemy running before them and all their
property in their mercy, they voluntarily refrained ;
the first time, perhaps, that such a thing has
happened in the history of Uganda.

However, I've not finished my story. Captain
Macdonald asked us to stay at Kampala till the
trouble was over, as our presence would, more than
anything, intimidate the Bey and the Soudanese ; so
we stayed, and some of us took a couple of hours
at night going round to see that the Guard was
all right. Yesterday (Monday), about mid-day,
news came in that the Bey was on the move,
intending, apparently, to skirt the capital and join
the Mohammedans. The Protestants had just
returned, 3,000 guns, and they were told to go out
and intercept him, and kill them every one. But
it proved to be a false alarm ; the Bey had sent up
ten men with guns, and twenty others to say that
he was ready to obey Captain Macdonald in every-
thing, and to explain away his messages to the
Captain and his words to Mr. Reddie. This
morning (Tuesday) Captain Macdonald and four
other Europeans with the Maxim, and 500 Baganda
with guns, and, of course, innumerable spearmen,
have gone to Ntebe to settle the Bey. They
anticipate that the Soudanese will all be loyal and
lay down their arms, and I expect that the Bey,
who was the real cause of all this trouble and

216 PILKINGTON OP UGANDA.

Sunday's bloodshed, and who, but for Captain
Macdonald's prompt action, might have had all of
us in chains — as he once had Emin — will be shot.

Juma, the Mohammedan chief, is in the chain
gang ; Mbogo is here, very cheerful apparently,
because he is exonerated from blame ; I hope it will
be possible to spare Juma's life: he is quite a young
man and he has had a terrible lesson."

" Namirembe,

Saturday, July I2th.

The Soudanese laid down their arms all right,
and the Bey was court-martialed and condemned
to be degraded and sent away to an island on the
Lake, Nsazi by name. Last Monday, all the
Protestants went off to drive out the Mohammedans.
No news yet except that half the Mohammedans
want peace.

I have not yet mentioned the death of Captain
Portal, by sunstroke, about a month ago. He was
buried up at the Church by Hannington and De
Winton.

In all this. Captain Macdonald has acted in the
promptest, bravest, and wisest manner. God gave
the right man for the right place."

Few will doubt that the English Missionaries
were right in standing by the British authorities.
They were not asked to take arms against the people
of the country, but to help to overawe by their
presence the mutinous Soudanese troops who were
foreigners to the country. Had they refused, it is
possible that the British administration would have

THE FIRST MUTINY. 217

been swept away, and Mohammedanism, with its
slave-raiding and cruelty, have reigned supreme.
Pilkington's story of these events is a clear
one. It may, however, be interesting to give
Captain Macdonald's account of his appeal to the
Missionaries.

*' I visited the Church Missionary Society in
Namirembe, where I saw Mr. Pilkington, who at
once summoned the Head of the Mission, the Rev.
J. Roscoe, at that time engaged at the church in
superintending classes. To these two gentlemen
the situation was explained. I told them my hopes
that a rapid initiative would defeat the proposed
combination in detail, and that the best chance of
success appeared to be in all the Europeans showing
a united front, irrespective of creed or profession.
At the same time, should they prefer to do so, they
were free to withdraw to the Eastern provinces
while there was yet time ; but I explained that such
a proceeding would necessarily have a very dispirit-
ing effect on the Protestant Waganda and might
lead to their flight from the capital. Other members
of the Mission were called in, and it need hardly be
said that, in an assemblage of Englishmen con-
fronted with a crisis like this, there was no dis-
sentient voice, but one and all decided to stand
or fall by me as the representative of British
authority.

I then went to the Roman Catholic Mission
Station, at Rubaga, and explained the situation and
proposals, in almost the same words that I had
used at Namirembe. Here, too, the Missionaries

218 PILKINGTON OF UGANDA.

resolved to stand by the Government. Both
Missions having thus decided to support me, it was
arranged that the Missionaries should come to
Kampala in the afternoon — not in a body, so as tc
create alarm, but dropping in by twos and threes."

After all was over, the Consul wrote thanking
the Missionaries for their " valuable services,"
and adding that " the record of their invaluable
services will be laid before Her Majesty's Secretary
of State at the first opportunity."

One of the most striking points in connection
with the suppression of the mutiny was the part
played by the Protestant Baganda. Captain Mac-
donald particularly mentions the Sekibobo, the title
by which Nikodemo, one of the most important
Protestant chiefs, was known, who was with him
when he went to arrest Selim Bey.

Writing of this incident in his recent book. Captain
Macdonald says : —

" The Sekibobo managed his men excellently.
When I went to arrest the Bey, several small
columns were drawn up concealed by a fold in the
ground, but ready to rush into the Soudanese
quarter had the Bey's private following offered any
resistance ; and when, before nightfall, a European
inspected the Sekibobo's arrangement of piclcets
and sentries, there was really nothing to alter.
With this stern old Waganda chief, it was like a
return to the ancient Covenanting days in Scotland :
for, every evening, the day's work closed with a
prayer-meeting conducted by the Sekibobo in
person, and always largely attended by his followers.

THE FIRST MUTINY. 219

The discipline he maintained in his contingent was
particularly good and he carried out my orders in
the spirit, not merely in the letter."

Pilkington, referring to his death nearly two
years later, speaks of him as follows : " We have
had a great loss ; our dear brother Nikodemo, kind,
good, earnest, Christian man (the Sekibobo, i.e.,
chief of Kyagwe), also one of those ordained deacon,
has been taken from us. As great a loss as
Sembera's personally to us and to the work : the
Lord who gave him can fill up the vacant place."

The great change is all the more remarkable
when it is realized from what degrading superstitions
the heathen of Uganda have been delivered.

The nature of this is described in a letter from
Pilkington, shortly after the mutiny, as follows : —

" You ask about the religion of the people here.
They had an elaborate religion ; each county or
province had its tutelar god (lubale) ; each god had
several shrines, where there lived the priest and the
* Mandwa,' i.e., a man supposed to be possessed by
the god ; people gave offerings which priest and
Mandwa shared, besides which a great many
gardens were given up to the lubale.

People came and enquired of them as at an oracle;
the priest was the medium, the Mandwa gave the
answers. Besides this, the spirits of dead people
were supposed to possess the Mandwas in the same
way as gods, especially the spirits of dead kings.
Mutesa, before he died, told the people that if, after
his death, anyone professed to be possessed by his
spirit, they were to tell him to read an Arabic book.

22D PILKINGTON OF UGANDA.

and, if he failed, they would know he was an
impostor as he (Mutesa) knew how to read it; and
this actually happened, and the Mandwa was well
beaten for his pains.

The same king had a favourite dog which died,
and a man professed to be possessed by its spirit,
and would do nothing but bark !

When a man is possessed in this way, and some
beer is brought in, they all drink, and the spirit
leaves him ; then the Mandwa is sure to upbraid his
friends for not leaving any for him, and when they
are surprised, he explains that he didn't drink any,
it was the god. The great rivers or marshes, too,
were regarded as gods, and, before crossing, they
would throw in coffee-berries, or human beings, to
propitiate them. Periodically, they sacrificed human
beings to both river and other gods, 500 at a time.
There were special places where these human
sacrifices were made till only a few years ago."

The mutiny having been thus vigorously dealt
with, peace was speedily re-established, and
Missionary work, which had been suspended for a
short period, was carried on with redoubled energy.

Selim Bey was sent away from the country, but
died on his way to the coast.

CHAPTER XII.

A REVIVAL.

Hitherto we have dealt chiefly with the Uganda
Mission, and the part played in it by the chief
character in our story, from what may be called the
external point of view.

We have watched him as he first took his place
in the Missionary circle at Mengo, daily gaining in
influence over the natives as he grew more and
more familiar with their language ; his counsel in-
creasingly valued by his colleagues, in many a
difficult problem connected with the work, and
appealed to by the British authorities to act as their
interpreter on every occasion when accuracy and
secrecy were particularly needed.

In his hands, during this time, the translation of
the Bible had made rapid progress, and the number
of readers became so great that their eagerness for
books could not be satisfied.

These external results, the only thing which the
world looks for, might have satisfied some, but they
were not enough for George Pilkington.

It is true that there were outward and visible
signs which betokened prosperity, but was there in
proportion the inward and spiritual grace ? It was

•21

222 PILKINGTON OF UGANDA.

this for which he sought, but the dearth of spiritual
results was to him and his fellow Missionaries a
keen disappointment. Pilkington himself was so
.much discouraged, that he spoke of giving up
Missionary work altogether, unless some change
took place. For a time, it is said that he used to
absent himself from the prayer meetings held
amongst the Missionaries.

In this state of mind he went alone for a visit to
the Island of Kome, and it was there that he learnt
the great secret of the indwelling power of the Holy
Spirit, which transformed his whole life.

Speaking of this at a great gathering of students
in Liverpool, in January, i8g6, he said : —

"If it had not been that God enabled me, after
three years in the Mission field, to accept by faith
the gift of the Holy Spirit, I should have given up
the work. I could not have gone on as I was then.
A book by David, the Tamil evangelist, shewed me
that my life was not right, that I had not the power
of the Holy Ghost. I had consecrated myself
hundreds of times, but I had not accepted God's gift.
I saw now that God commanded me to be filled with
the Spirit. Then I read, ' All things whatsoever
ye pray and ask for, believe that ye have received
them, and ye shall have them,' and, claiming
this promise, I received the Holy Spirit.

Another verse which impressed me was, St. John
xvi., 7 — 'It is expedient for you that I go away;
for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come
unto you ; but if I go I will send Him unto you.' "

But perhaps the clearest view of the influence on

A REVIVAL. 223

his life of this remarkable experience, may be gained
from a letter written by him to his mother on May
30th, 1895. He writes : — " Next Sunday is
Whit-Sunday. Oh, for another Pentecost here, and
at home. * He that believeth on Me out of his belly
shall flow rivers (not a stream or a single river) of
living water. Greater works than these shall ye do,
because I go unto the Father.' Where are these
rivers and where are these mighty works ? We
must ask rather, where * is he that believeth on
Him ? ' Surely He is not unfaithful to a single line
of His promise. What wonder that infidelity
abounds, when the worst infidelity of all is in our
own hearts. What wonder that Popery increases,
when we have dethroned the Holy Spirit from our
hearts. What wonder that Mohammedanism defies
us, and still occupies vast fields once held for
Christ, when Mohammed's successors can still ask
as the false prophet himself did, * Where, but in
Mohammed is the promised Paraclete ? ' Even
the Mohammedans here, ignorant as they are, ask
that. Praise be to God, many of our people here can
answer, ' In my heart and life.' May abundant
fruit of the Spirit in our lives prove our witness
true.

The people here are hungry and thirsty for the
Holy Ghost, they are searching the New and (as far
as they have it) the Old Testament to see if these
things which we tell them be so. I am looking for
a wonderful outpouring of the Holy Spirit on them.
* I will pour water on him that is thirsty, and
floods on the dry ground.' (Is. xliv., 3.) From God

224 PILKINGTON OF UGANDA.

has this thirst come in our souls here for the Holy
Spirit, and He who gave the thirst is also satisfying
it, and will satisfy it to the full.

It would be an easier thing for the Church
of Uganda to evangelize in twenty years all
unevangelized Africa than it was for the Primitive
Church to evangelize as far as she did in the same
period. The Waganda are born Missionaries, they
are splendid travellers, and in ability, a good deal
above, so far as is known, the nations round them ;
their country is an island in a vast sea of ignorance ;
they have been brought in contact with, and have
learnt to contend with, the three forms of darkness
which they will meet in Africa: Heathenism^
Mohammedanism, and Popery. What we want
first, middle, and last, is the Holy Spirit. The
Holy Spirit is Christ in the heart. See Rom. viii.
and Eph. iii.

This reminds me that you once wrote as if you
thought that I had meant to say that, till eighteen
months ago, I had not had the presence or the help
of the Holy Spirit in my work. I never meant to
convey that impression. I distinguish between the
presence of the Holy Spirit with us and in us ; our
blessed Lord said to His disciples, * He is with you
and shall be in you.' John xiv. It is the birthright
of every Christian to have the Holy Spirit in him,
to be full of the Holy Ghost as St. Paul commanded
the Ephesians to be, but I believe that my unbelief
and other sins was a hindrance to the Holy Spirit
in my own heart till about eighteen months ago,
when God Himself, I humbly believe, opened, or

A REVIVAL. 225

enabled me to 'open the door,' and He came in.
according to His gracious promise, to sup with me
even me, and I with Him. Amazing condescensior
and mercy to such an awful, awful, awful sinner ai
I know myself to be."

On December 7th, 1893, Pilkington returned
to Mengo from Kome, and everyone noticed
the wonderful change in him. His very face told
of the reality of the change. His boys noticed it,
the Christians of Uganda were conscious of it and
all who came in contact with him, and that not only
from his words but in a thousand little ways which
speak more forcibly than the most eloquent sermon.
But it was not only Pilkington who was thus
blessed, others of the mission party had been led
to seek a special blessing from God, and thus they
were able to rejoice together.

Of this Baskerville writes on December 8th: —
** Pilkington got back yesterday from Kome about
5.30 ; he came over to dinner with us at Roscoe's,
and told of the glorious times he had had on
Kome. He told us, too, how he had definitely,
while away, received by faith the Baptism of the
Holy Ghost, and manifestation of His power had
followed. People had testified to the saving power
of Christ, including Christians of some standing, I
mean some who had been baptized but who as yet
had not really accepted Christ. One man, a
genuine native of Kome, stood up and said, ' You
see me a native born, not a Waganda, but a native
of Kom6, do not call me any longer by my old
name, for I have been born anew.* Others said
0

226 PILKINGTON OF UGANDA.

* I was blind, now I see.' Praise to God for His
goodness."

Baskerville continues : " It has been our private
wish for some time to have some mission services
here. We can scarcely hope for special missioners
until a railway comes, and it occurred to us that
God wants to use us. We all, in prayer, dedicated
ourselves to Him, and asked Him to baptize us
anew. This morning we began ; we had not told
the people but went up after prayer at the usual
time, believing for a blessing. Pilkington conducted
the meeting. We began with our version of 'Have
you been to Jesus for the cleansing power,' and then
Pilkington prayed. He began by speaking about a
man, a very sad case which has been the indirect
cause of these meetings. A certain Musa Yakuganda
has come to us and told us that he gets no profit from
our religion, and wants to have his name given out
as having returned to the state of a Heathen. Asked
if he knew what he said, he replied, ' Do you think
I have been reading seven years, and do not under-
stand ? Your religion does not profit me at all. I
have done with it.' Pilkington pointed out what a
cause of shame this was to us. . . . I cannot on
paper describe every detail of the meeting. On two
occasions, some hundreds were all praying for for-
giveness, others praising in the simplest language.
. . . We left the church at twelve, having been
there since 8.30. Roscoe is now with some of the
teachers, and Pilkington has some boys in the next
room. We go up to the church directly to another
service,"

A REVIVAL. 227

The Rev. J. Roscoe writes of the services on the
next day, December 9th : — " We have had another
day of great spiritual blessing. At each service God
was present, and souls were brought into union with
Jesus Christ. The beaming faces of some who found
peace yesterday were sufficient testimony to their
changed state, and words were unnecessary. The
Katikiro wrote his testimony ; in September he found
peace, but has now entered into fuller blessing.
Each morning we have had fully 500 present at
these meetings. This afternoon, we had a specially
solemn service for those who had the assurance of
salvation, about 200 being present. We expect from
the Lord showers of blessing to-morrow, and await
the outpouring of His Spirit in faith.

loth (Sunday). We are in the midst of a great
spiritual revival. To the Lord be praise and glory
and honour ! Our joy is beyond expression. After
the morning service, fully 200 stayed to be spoken
to, and I believe the majority went away rejoicing in
the Lord."

Baskerville adds : " Musa has come back. It is
grand. He was in the Church when Pilkington told
the people about him, at the first meeting, on Friday.
No one dreamt of his being there. The Lord had
brought him."

The Rev. Ernest Millar gives the following account
of the mission : — "The majority of those converted
could read a little, but some could not read at all,
and, on being converted, at once wished to learn to
read. One of Pilkington's hayirna (cow boys) came
out very brightly, and told the others about God's

228 PILKINGTON OF UGANDA.

love, the consequence being that on the next day
one of our Bayima, whom we had previously not
thought much of, came to me, and said he had
accepted the gift of God, eternal life, and now wished
to have a reading book, that he might learn to read.
Needless to say, I gave him a book at once, and we
can see the change in his life — he is quite a different
man, and full of joy ; since then, another cowboy
has come forward. This is the more wonderful,
because the Bayima are generally very backward in
learning to read. (The Bayima are the tribe whose
especial care is that of looking after cattle ; there is
a proverb to the effect that you can more easily kill
a Muyima than you can take his cattle.) The
Mission only lasted three days, but the effect will, I
trust, last for ever. One remarkable feature of this
work, in the eyes of outsiders, is that the great chiefs
in the land were not afraid to confess that they had
not hitherto accepted Christ, and that they wished
to do so. At the service at the king's, on the last
day of the mission, one chief, who had been one of
the leading teachers, but had been suspended for
misconduct, confessed, in front of the king and his
boys, that he had not previously accepted the Lord
Jesus as his Saviour, but did so then. We had
special meetings for the deepening of the spiritual
life during the week which followed the mission, and
we trust that many were helped."

One other missionary, Mr. R. H. Leakey, gives
his impressions of these wonderful three days; he
writes : —

" You will have heard from other Missionaries of

A REVIVAL. 229

the special services here, on December 8th, gth,
and loth, and of the wonderful blessing we had.
Many, who had long been looked upon as leading
Christians, realized a new force and power in their
Christian life. Some said to us, ' Why have you
been here so long and never told us this glad news
before ? ' All we could say was, ' You have been
been told, but have not believed it.' May God
forgive iis for any lack of power, or of faith, or of
prayer on our part. . . . Before the services we
prayed with power to God, and then went to them,
expecting great blessings, and we got more than we
had dared to expect. I never in my life so realized
the power of the Spirit of God present to save and
working in our midst as I did at those meetings."

The reason why it was necessary to hold the
Mission, without time for preparation, was that
the Baganda army was about to start for Bunyoro,
to fight with King Kabarega, and Pilkington elected
to accompany the Baganda troops, as their chaplain.
Of this, Baskerville writes : —
" 13th. — Pilkington has gone. On Monday night
he told us that God was calling him to go out to the
war with the Baganda. We all felt it to be the
right thing, and all has been arranged well, and he
left this morning. He will be thrown in contact
daily with hundreds of people, who never come near
the capital, drawn from every corner of the country,
many of them Roman Catholics and Mohammedans.
He is not travelling with the white men from the
Fort, but with the Baganda. He wanted at first to
go without a tent, but the people would not hear of

230 PILKINGTON OP UGANDA.

it, nor indeed would we. They have given him
about ten porters. The people are all delighted
that he has gone — their joy was very touching. In
fact, we are all about as full of joy as we can
hold, and the people are particularly rejoiced that
Pilkington has gone. All say what a unique oppor-
tunity he will have. He has two cows with him,
and he will, I am sure, be well looked after by the
people. Last night we had a very solemn service
as a farewell, the Colonel, and all the men at the
Fort came, but one. Pilkington preached a short
sermon, and several of them particularly thanked us."

Captain Villiers, speaking of Pilkington's presence
with the Baganda army on this occasion, remarks
that it was " the cause of their abandoning all their
former ideas of warfare, and behaving as well as
civilized troops." It may be well to add that
Pilkington was strictly a non-combatant on this
occasion. News received from him by the Mission-
aries in Mengo is given by Mr. Baskerville, who
writes : —

" Two letters have come from Pilkington since he
left for the war, the second from Kadoma's, ten
miles over the Buganda frontier and their first
camping-place in Bunyoro. In his first letter
he says, ' Some twenty-five have professed salvation
since we left Mengo ' ; in his second, he says, * The
Mohammedans are listening eagerly, even their
chiefs come to hear. I have preached to great
crowds four times, numbering from i,ooo to 2,000,
and on Sunday Zacharia preached a capital sermon
to some 2,000 people,' "

A REVIVAL. 231

With characteristic humility, Pilkington makes
Httle if any mention of the details of this expedition
which must have included one of the most romantic
experiences of his whole career. His name was
mentioned in the despatches having reference to the
expedition, and Colonel Colville, who was in com-
mand, was the means of conveying to Pilkington the
following message from Lord Kimberley who was
then at the Foreign Office. He writes : —

" I am instructed to convey to you his Lordship's
appreciation of the able assistance which you ren-
dered me during the Unyoro expedition. I need
hardly say how much pleasure it gives me to trans-
mit this message."

Nor was this all, for a letter, dated from the
Foreign Ofifice, on July 3rd, 1895, written by the
direction of the Marquis of Salisbury, announces the
fact of the award of a medal to Pilkington " for his
services during the Unyoro campaign in East
Africa."

On returning from the expedition against Kab-
arega, Pilkington paid a visit to Singo, where Mr.
Fisher was at work. Here he was greatly struck
with the plan, adopted by Mr. Fisher, of erecting
reading houses, or, as the people called them, " Syn-
agogi," where they could be instructed by native
teachers under the direction of more experienced
workers, these in turn being supervised by the
European in charge of the district.

On returning to Mengo, Pilkington proposed that
this plan should be adopted much more widely, ana
he and Baskerville decided to delay their return

232 PILKINGTON OF UGANDA.

to England until this new movement could be
organized.

Thus it became possible to bring the more
distant places into closer touch with the centre of
the work, and the revival, which had started in the
capital, spread in the same year far and wide through
the outlying stations of the Mission.

A letter written by Pilkington on the ist of April,
1894, gives some account of the sending forth of
new teachers. He writes : —

" A good many teachers — between thirty and forty
— have offered to go out and teach in the country
parts ; we had a sort of ' dismissal ' last Sunday,
when thirteen were sent, and another seven are to
be dismissed this afternoon, including a very faithful
boy of mine called Musa (Moses), who will be a great
loss to me, but, I believe, a great gain to the work.

Leakey came back yesteuday from South of Lake
with 120 loads of books (a load is 70 lbs.), i.e, three
and a half tons, 800 New Testaments, only I wish
it were 8000.

Captain Macdonald is going home. We owe him
a great debt. He saved this country. He has won
the confidence of all the people by firmness, good
sense, and kindness. We are very sorry indeed that
he is going ; we shall hardly see his equal again.

We hope very much that he may come back
here again.

I hope before long to pay a visit to the Islands;
we hear there has been an enormous increase of
'reading' in them lately : and so I hope to find large
congregations to whom to preach the Gospel, and I

A REVIVAL. 233

expect many will be saved through the mercy of
God and the outpouring of the Holy Spirit."

At the end of July and during the month of
August, Pilkington visited the Islands in company
with the Rev. Ernest Millar. In most cases they
were received with the greatest enthusiasm. Mission
services were held with splendid results. Candidates
for baptism were examined and baptized, and a
great impulse given to reading. One serious
interruption to the work at Mengo occurred not long
after his return from the journey, which he records
as follows, writing on 4th of October, 1894 : —

*' Last Tuesday I was sitting in this room when
my cook, a woman, rushed in, saying, ' The Church
has fallen, and I don't know whether people haven't
been killed in it.' There was at the time a
tremendous storm of wind and rain. Thank God
no people had been killed. Walker was last out of
the Church. He refused to believe that it was
falling, till he saw the great poles actually coming
down on him, and only just got out when down it came.
The poles apparently sound, and not leaning in the
least, had rotted inside and broke off one after the
other under the great pressure of wind, aided by the
enormous weight of the grass roof, drenched by the
downpour of rain.

It seems a calamity, but we believe that God's
hand is in it ; I daresay, as in Acts viii.. He wants
to scatter our work more in the dark surrounding
country.

They are going to build another with a different
kind of wood, palm trees, and we hope on a some-

234 PILKINGTON OF UGANDA.

what improved principle. But it is difficult to make
so vast a building safe without mortar or ironwork.
. . . We have had great encouragement among
the Mohammedans lately. Two of them, friends
of mine, converted I believe, and two others,
leading men among them, intending to come out.

I believe that there is a Spirit of enquiry among
the Roman Catholics such as I have never seen
before. Not less than three or four of them daily,
often more, come to see me to talk about things, in
ones and twos. They are on the most friendly
terms with me.

Before the Church fell, 2,000 at least were coming
every week-day morning, besides, I should think, at
least 7,000 more in the 200 country Churches. On
Sunday not less than 20,000 in the various Churches.
Of these, 6,000 were under regular instruction in
classes ; and this vast work extending right down
to Koki and Toro on one side, and Busoga on the
other, 200 miles in one direction and 100 in the
other, has to be directed by twelve Europeans, often
down with fever, and knowing the language very
imperfectly. The natives can't yet organise ; they
are good when led, they seem unable to lead yet.
Oh that they may be led by the Holy Ghost ! They
are improving, one of them is doing a grand
work about ten miles to the north of Mengo, really
organising, I think. May God give us many like
him. He used to be a strong opponent of present
salvation, but thank God, no longer so.

I want to finish translating the Old Testament,
and that, with seeing after the teachers, who have

A REVIVAL. 235

been sent into the country, teaching daily a class of
would-be teachers in Romans, and holding a service,
half in the open air, in the neighbourhood every
afternoon, leaves me but little time for corres-
pondence.

The Mohammedans here tell me that they believe
and love the Lord Jesus, and I believe that, in a
sense, they do ; but it is not the same Jesus that I
know."

Writing again on Sunday, 4th November, 1894,
he continues : — " The work goes on wonderfully ;
our reading sheets have run out ; we are anxiously
expecting more. Every afternoon I am now going
for an hour or two, to the Mohammedan quarter,
Natete, the C. AL S. Station in Mackay's days, and
have a sort of friendly discussion, consisting chiefly
of reading the Scriptures, with the Mohammedans ;
they have themselves invited me, and we are great
friends, they are not like the bigoted Mohammedans
of India, and still they are quite bigoted enough.
They ask me questions such as : 'Is Jesus the Son
of God ? ' ' What about Abraham ? ' ' Why don't
you keep the law of Moses ? ' Which I answer by
reading, e.g., Heb. i. Mat. iii., 16, 17, Rom. iv..
Acts XV., and they listen with utmost attention.
But their most interesting question is about Him
whom Jesus said was to come (the Holy Spirit —
they say Mohammed), and it is glorious to have
such an opportunity of testifying to the reality and
the power of the Blessed Spirit. This is the lost
Truth, the loss of which gave Satan the oppor-
tunity of introducing both Mohammedanism and

236 PILKINGTON OF UGANDA

Popery. Of course, you know that in the Koran (of
which I have a translation) is mentioned the Trinity,
as Mohammed supposed Christians to believe, the
Father, Son, and Mary !

We have seen during the last year many hardened
and notorious sinners (baptized though they were)
definitely brought to Christ, and openly professing
to be saved (one of them the other day, just after
his conversion). When we told the Church Council
that he wanted to go out as a teacher, the proposal
was met with uncontrollable laughter as they didn't
know about his conversion ; and he is now living
a life which shews to all the world, the reality
of the change.

The Roman Catholic version of St. Matthew
(with copious notes from the Fathers) is expected in
a day or two. Thank God for this."

The work of that year, which had been a most
eventful one in the history of the Uganda Church,
is thus summed up in Pilkington's annual letter for
1894 :—

*' Mengo,

December 12th, 1894.

Since my return from Unyoro — where I had
wonderful opportunities of preaching the Gospel to
many who probably would not have heard it other-
wise, and of getting into closer touch and sympathy
with the Waganda — my work has been chiefly that of
looking after the rapid extension of the work into
the country, which has been one of the most marked
features of the year ; in fact, I have acted, I may
say, as secretary to the Church Council, as far as

A REVIVAL. 237

this special work is concerned, I have also don<!
language work, especially the revision of the New
Testament, with Henry Wright Duta; but I pro-
pose, in this letter, only to review the work ol
extension into the country parts and neighbouring
countries during the past year.

At the beginning of this year, there were not,
probably, more than twenty country churches (or
reading-rooms or ' synagogues ' ) ; there are now
not less than 200, of which the ten largest would
contain 4,500 persons ; the average capacity of all
would be, perhaps, 150. In these there now
assemble every Sunday not less than 20,000 souls to
hear the Gospel ; on week days not less than 4,000
assemble (these numbers are exclusive of the
capital). The first teachers paid by the Church
Council were dismissed in April ; there are now 131
of these teachers, occupying eighty-five stations, of
whom just twenty are stationed outside Uganda
proper, and may be regarded as more or less foreign
Missionaries ; those in Usoga and Uvuma are
supported by the C. M. S. This by no means
represents the whole of the work that is being done
in the country ; there are some places, notably
Jungo, some fifteen miles south of Mengo, where a
splendid work is being done, and there are probably
not less than twenty teachers at work under Henry's
able superintendence, and not one of these teachers,
nor Henry himself, is reckoned in the above. At
Bu'si again, an island near Jungo, there are only
two of these regular teachers, and yet there are
three churches and about 2,000 people under in-

238 PILKINGTON OF UGANDA.

struction. This extension into the country has
produced, as might have been expected, visible
fruit in the enormous increase in the number of
those under definite instruction for baptism. At
this time last year the catechumens numbered 170 ;
during the year some 800 (I have not the exact
number at hand) have been baptized, and there are
now 1,500 catechumens.

A blow has been struck at the numerous and
absurd slanders current about baptism by the work
of the Native deacons, who have, whenever possible,
taken baptism in the country churches. While
writing this letter I have received a note from
Zachariah Kangao, who went to his country place
some days ago to baptize some candidates ; he says
that a great number collected to see the baptisms,
and went away saying, * It was all lies they told us
about eating snakes' tails and human flesh,' &c.
One slander he mentions, which I think is not only
interesting but most encouraging — that baptism
consisted ' in making an incision in the head and
rubbing in a powerful medicine which kills the old
heart, and then there comes in its place a new
religious heart that does not lust for anything,' a
glorious Heathen testimony, I take it, to the renew-
ing power of the Gospel of Christ.

Then, further, the work is being extended by the
fuller organisation of the country churches. It has
been decided to elect six churchwardens whenever
the number of baptized men is not less than ten ;
this organising has only just been begun, but we
have seen enough of resultant activity to lead us to

A REVIVAL. 239

hope that the effects, when the scheme is complete
and in full working order, will be most important.

To sum up, the year's work has been by far the
most encouraging that I have been privileged to
witness, and I venture to think that the Church
here is only just beginning its course of testimony
and victory. I anticipate that next year will see an
enormous accession. Is the C.M.S. prepared for
the calls upon its resources which the rapid increase
of the work here might mean ? What if we should
require a hundred thousand copies of the New
Testament in the course of the next two or three
years, and say a million reading-sheets ? this would
make about 1,500 loads; how are they to be brought
here in addition to everything else ?

Let me add one word about reinforcements. Is
it not obvious that our present staff is not nearly
sufficient ? There are, thank God, several most
able Natives, real soul-winners too ; but they are not
yet fully qualified to organise and keep books, nor to
train people for this work. Europeans are needed
for a few years in considerable numbers ; men of
ability and education and spiritual power are
needed. Such then would, as far as one can fore-
see, be the means in God's hand of putting into
the field here, say, each of them, ten Native
Missionaries in a few years, each of the ten in
most ways equal, in many ways superior, to any
European ; therefore, I venture to say, that one
European of the kind required now is worth ten, five
years hence. May the Lord of the Harvest open
the eyes of those at home to see it 1 "

CHAPTER XIII.

ON FURLOUGH.

In the summer of 1895, Pilkington and Baskerville
came home on furlough. They travelled by the
northern route which passes through British territory,
and it is by this route the railway is being con-
structed, the commencement of which has proved
the most certain indication of the intention of the
British Government to maintain the Uganda Pro-
tectorate. Mr. Baskerville gives a graphic account
of the difficulties of the march and the sufferings
of the porters, which will be at an end when the
railway is completed. He writes : —

" Though the north road has been proved to be
far more healthy for Europeans, yet it is a far more
terrible journey for the native porters. There are
the waterless districts near the coast, and the long
stretch of foodless country, stretching from Kikuyu
to Mumia's in Kavirondo, a three weeks' journey,
for which food has to be carried in addition to the
ordinary load. This foodless district is very high
ground, rising over the Mau escarpment to 8,500
feet, and is consequently very cold, and the porters
suffer much. Then, too, man-eating lions seldom
leave any caravans alone, and highwaymen are
always on the look-out for stragglers.

MO

ON FURLOUGH. 241

Let me recall a few facts connected with our
home journey last summer. We laid in our food
supplies in Busoga and distributed them between all
members of the caravan. The ordinary African
does not look far ahead, and it is not an uncommon
thing for a man to throw away a large portion ot his
rations, keeping just enough for his immediate need,
or some will eat up three weeks' food in one, and
then tell you they are starving. The Government
provide all their porters with a blanket and water-
proof sheet for crossing the Mau escarpment ; the
men constantly sell these to natives of Kavirondo,
and then die of cold. One day we had just come
to a river, when we saw on the opposite bank an
up-country caravan approaching. We waited and
watched it go by. Many of the men looked greatly
emaciated, some mere skeletons. Some were offer-
ing things in sale for flour. We had not gone more
than a mile when I noticed a man by the side of the
path. He had no earthly belongings except a rag of
cloth round his loins. We asked him who he was.
He said he had been carrying the head man's tent,
but that morning could not manage it, so his load
had been given to another, and he had been left.
That night he would have been eaten by hyenas.
He had dysentery and a bad cough. We gave him
brandy and milk, and helped him along that day,
feeding him at night in camp with arrowroot. The
next day he started walking, but arrangements had
to be made to carry him. By no force of argument
could we persuade our Swahili headman to leave
behind a load of drums he was taking down to a

R

242 PILKINGTON OF UGANDA.

friend. We would give him double the price. No,
his friend wanted the drums, not the money ; for-
tunately our provision boxes were getting light, and
by putting two or three loads together we managed
to get two bearers. The next day we were detained
by two more sick men. We had passed many
corpses of men and donkeys, some only recently
dead. When we found these two men by an old
hut in a camping place in a very wild spot just by a
marsh, one had been there nine days without food.
He had bad feet, an old sore had become poisoned
by wading through marshes. He had been under
the care of a headman, who had thought it less
trouble to leave him, and probably reported him
dead. We learned the headman's name and re-
ported the matter at Kikuyu, and I trust our friend
will get a warm punishment. Thus abandoned,
he was found by another caravan, and robbed by
them of all he had, food, cloth, and water calabash.
A few days before we found him, he had been joined
by another, and the night before a third man had
crept in to die, and there we saw his corpse lying
close by. Strange to say, our friend seemed quite
cheerful, and only asked for a fire and some water.
We made a fire and drew water for him, and fed
him and his companion with some cooked food we
had with us. He said, ' If when you get to the
Ravine (a Government Station, two days' march
away), you tell the white man to send for me, he
will find me still alive.' Of course we could not
leave him thus, and his companion was evidently
dying. We managed to carry them on, one on a

ON FURLOUGH. 243

small donkey we had ; and by giving some light
loads to our boys, we set free two men to carry the
other. Had we met more sick men, we could not
have carried them on, except by leaving behind
food, or tents, or clothing, and thereby endangering
the lives of ourselves and our own men.

The horrors of the road for these poor porters
can only be understood by one who has travelled on
it. All this the railway will change, and also it
cannot fail to check what remains, and that is a
good deal, of the slave-trade."

It may be added that the railway, so far as it is at
present completed, as far as Kibwezi, is marked on
our map of Eastern Central Africa, as well as the
survey up to the Lake.

On arriving at the coast, the missionaries were
most hospitably received b}' the Rev. W. E. and
Mrs. Taylor.

Mr. Taylor's reminiscences of their visit furnish an
interesting review of this period. He writes : — -
" The arrival of Baskerville and ' Pilks,' as he was
familiarly called by his missionary comrades, caused
quite a stir among us, his friends at the coast, when
in August, 1895, they came to Frere Town, with
their Waganda porters and boys. We were very
curious to see men whose doings and labour had
been so wonderfully honoured of God in Uganda,
We found them very modest and retiring, which
natural trait was further heightened by the shyness
they felt to appear before the lady workers at Frere
Town in their rough, up-country rig, now very much
the rougher for an 800 miles journey on foot, without

244 PILKINGTON OF UGANDA.

the possibility of a renewal of their travelling kit
through such deserts as those they had traversed.
How^ever, I think a deposit of European clothes, &c.,
that was awaiting Mr, Baskerville at the Accountant's
Office, was divided between them, and they forth-
with became more presentable ; and so in Pilkington's
case also, the way-worn garments and * clouted
shoon ' were soon discarded for a more conventional,
if not a very well-fitting, garb, although he need not
have minded, for he looked well in anything. One
odd little matter as to his person struck me — a thick
pile of short hair that came well down on the side of
the neck. It struck me that this formed a covering
to the neck where it otherwise would have been
naked to the bitter rays of the oblique morning and
evening sun, which are much more dangerous, be-
cause more insidious, to the European than are the
vertical ones. This may in part account for what I
thought an uncommon tolerance of glare, and, there-
fore, I think it may not be amiss to mention it.
Also he told me, in regard to his precautions against
sunstroke in itineration and travel, that before going
out he would give his headgear — a pith topee — a good
soak in water, and also place a fresh banana leaf
within the helmet, further to protect his head, and
then he was ready for anything, and would suffer no
inconvenience in this way for as long a time as the
headgear retained its dampness, when, if possible, he
would repeat the process.

Very soon after his arrival, we had a walk
through Frere Town — he was staying with us in the
Bishop's House, which Bishop Tucker had loaned to

ON FURLOUGH. 245

us, to afford us a change from Mombasa, and
Baskerville was resident in another, and boarded
with Mr. Binns — and one of the first things that
struck one was the way he could enjoy a walk with
his bhstered feet because of the talk ! We found in
the languages, in fact, a most absorbing topic. We
had several such walks which were to me full of
instruction, as we compared notes concerning our
respective language studies and their bearing on
our work.

He told me practically what he repeated in a
letter which I received only shortly before his death,
of his great indebtedness to Sweet's ' Primer of
Phonetics,' which I was privileged to have recom-
mended Millar to take out to him in 1892. He said
that that book had been the means of making things
in the language clear as daylight to him, where all
before had been like groping in the dark. He
attributed to this book his discovery and fixing the
rationnel of the most important phonetic feature of
the Uganda tongue — the longs and shorts in
consonants and vowels. He also traced to my little
book on the Proverbs of the East Africans (' African
Aphorisms, or Saws from Swahili Land,' S.P.C.K.)
his beginning the study and collection of the Uganda
proverbs, which he turned to such good account in
his Tractate on Roman Catholicism and Mohamme-
danism, and in his Evangelistic and Pastoral work in
Uganda. He said justly, that without the study of
the National Proverbs, one could never properly
know the workings of the African mind. In almost
all these things we had come by different ways,

246 PILKINGTON OF UGANDA.

to the same, or nearly the same, general conclu-
sions. He was good enough to be present
at the weekly Swahili lectures I was giving at that
time to the candidates for the Language Examina-
tions, and would give excellent illustrations of the
matter in hand from his own experience in the
language of Uganda; and I used to call upon him
for a demonstration of various African sounds,
compared with those sounds as uttered in Irish
brogue, with which he was conversant. He was
surprised at the similarity thus emphasized.

Pilkington was no half-and-half Protestant, but
withal there was no personal bitterness imported
into his uncompromising statement of opinion in
the Romish controversy which he had had to wage
while in Uganda." Reference is then made by
Mr. Taylor to some special lines of argument which
were afterwards developed by Pilkington with great
effect in the little book "anonya alaba," which
will be referred to later on. There is little doubt
that his knowledge of Ireland and the Irish gave
him a keen insight into the difficulties of Roman
Catholics, whilst at the same time he knew how to
deal with such questions in a way calculated
to attract, rather than to repel those with
whom he came in contact. Mr. Taylor con-
tinues : — " He would give one in private, as
also he and Baskerville did in a meeting con-
vened for the purpose, the stirring account ot
God's dealings with the Uganda Mission ; which,
in leading the Missionaries and Teachers to just
views of the absolute necessity for personal con-

ON FURLOUGH. 247

secration and the direct and supreme work of the
Spirit of God, so happily brought about the
vivification of the Church in Uganda. He had
conceived a great respect — and surely he was a
judge, as capable as he was conscientious — of the
abilities and graces of the Uganda converts, and
especially of those who had become teachers, and
he would relate anecdotes in support of his opinion,
some of which I took notes of as he told them,
A preacher at Mengo said in his sermon, that to
form a judgment of a man's deserts, man's way is to
put his evil deeds into one scale, and his virtues and
religious observances into the other ; whereas God's
way, in such a case, would be to put both these into
the debit scale. Another similar pulpit utterance,
was a determination the preacher made between the
spheres of faith and works, or rather of inward
holiness and heart religion on the one hand, and
outward observances on the other. Said the
preacher : ' Religion may be compared to a banana.*
The real heart religion is the juicy pulp, the forms
and ceremonies are the skin. While the two are
undivided, the banana keeps good till it is used, and
so it is with religion. Separate the forms from the
spirit, and the one will be of no more value than
the banana husk, while the latter will speedily
decay and corrupt apart from the outward ex-
pression.' Observances, the preacher pointed out,
had their value in protecting the holy germ within,
and fostering the feelings of the heart. This was
called forth by the arising of a certain spirit of in-
subordination to the ordinances of the Church, and
• The banana is the national food of the people of Uganda.

248 PILKINGTON OF UGANDA

had its effect. What European teacher, Pilkington
asked, could have used such a simile? He was
always insisting on the necessity to true progress
of the African for Africa. Another wise saw was :
* No poisoner gives poison neat, if he would remain
undiscovered. The devil knows that.' Again :
' The devil has two devices ; he will do one of two
things — first he will try and deprive you of the food ;
and if he cannot deprive you of it, he will corrupt
it.' These were spoken by the native preacher in
reference to the Romish teaching, which was then,
and is now, combating the work of our Missionaries
so keenly and so persistently. One man (I think
Samwili), in a prayer for the blessing of God on the
Evangelists, used an expression which had greatly
struck our friend : * We have the line. Thou hast
the hook ! ' When the Mohammedans of Mombasa
had heard him proclaim the conversion of three
known Mohammedans in Uganda, which I asked
him to attest at our open-air meetings in Mombasa,
— for the reason that the Mohammedans at the
coast had said that the conversion of a Moslem was
a simple impossibility, — they characteristically ex-
plained it away by saying, ' Oh, the Waganda were
written down to the English from eternity ! ' —
by the English meaning ' Christians.'"

On reaching England, at the end of October,
1895, Pilkington stayed for a few days with Mr.
Bushell, at Harrow, before visiting his Irish home.

He made his first appearance at the Annual
Meeting of the Gleaners' Union, on November ist,
and he created a great impression as he told of

ON FURLOUGH. 249

the change which had come over the hves of many
of the Uganda converts, not to speak of the
Missionaries, as the result of the great revival at
the out-pouring of God's Spirit. At the same
meeting he made an earnest appeal for men to
devote themselves to literary work in the Mission
Field.

But he had not returned home in order to go from
place to place, seeking to rouse the home Church to
her responsibilities to the unevangelised world, as in
the case of most Missionaries. His mission was a
very definite one — to see through the Press the revised
Luganda New Testament, to complete the trans-
lation of the Old Testament, and thus to furnish
for the Uganda Church, on his return, a completed
Bible in one volume. But, if he did not often
appear on the public platform, when he did speak
an impr-ession was made in many cases which will
never be effaced. In no case was this more remark-
able than in his visits to the Universities of Oxford
and Cambridge. At Oxford he spoke at Canon
Christopher's Annual C. M.S. breakfast — that remark-
able annual gathering, when so many distinguished
graduates of the University, as well as under-
graduates, gather year by year to meet some
Missionary from abroad. On this occasion the
gathering was a particularly representative one.
Pilkington's review of the history of the Uganda
Church was unusually comprehensive, and his
illustrations most interesting, and, in conclusion,
he made the following stirring appeal to Oxford
men: —

250 PILKINGTON OF UGANDA.

"Surely there must be many," he said, "who
longed for opportunity to show their devotion to
Christ in some more adequate way. There were
thousands and thousands of miles in the Soudan
waiting for self-sacrifice, and let them not suppose
the Soudan would be won for Christ without
sacrifice. Surely it would come from somewhere,
and why not from Oxford ? They could not choose
for themselves the sacrifice — that would be no real
sacrifice — but when God called them, when God
opened the way, when God gave them the privilege,
surely they would not shrink from it. Might he
end by giving them a message from a Mohammedan
in Uganda ? He was speaking to him about the
riches of Christ, and he replied, ' Do you think we
should ever leave this religion of ours which has
cost us so much suffering ? ' He loved his religion
because it cost him so much, and he believed it was
true that most things were worth to them what they
had cost them. If God gave them the opportunit}^
and opened the way and called them to it, he
begged of them not to shrink. He believed they
could do a work in Uganda, such as could be done
in no other part of the world, because in no other
part of the world was there material lying waiting
as in Uganda. Here was the opportunity. He
challenged them to accept it."

Among the senior members of the University
present at that gathering was Sir Henry Acland,
late Regius Professor of Medicine, and he rose to
express the thanks of the audience to Mr. Pilkington,
and, ia the course of his speech, he said :—

ON FURLOUGH. 251

"They saw before them a man of strength, a man
of heart, a man of education, who went forth among
the milHons of their fellow creatures to teach every-
thing that mankind required to know for their
progress, their well-being, their happiness here and
hereafter. What more was to be said ? They were
aware that the study of physical science had, within
the last half-century, become an essential part of
the curriculum of the University of Oxford. He
wondered whether the time would not shortly come
when their able, thoughtful, excellent undergraduates,
who studied in that department of human know-
ledge, would qualify themselves especially to go as
highly-accomplished medical advisers to assist in
Missionary work throughout the world — (hear, hear).
He spoke from knowledge of some of their young
scientific men that he believed, if that idea was put
into their minds, they would be proud and anxious,
on behalf of God's work, on behalf of their Queen,
to go and faithfully join under the instructions and
guidance of such a man of vigour and goodness
and sympathy for his fellow creatures as they had
heard address them that morning — (applause). He
would only presume to add one word. M^as it not
a blessed thing to hear so much that was so deeply,
scientifically, and intellectually interesting as was
Mr. Pilkington's account of the people of Uganda,
without one single word of politics or of the quarrels
and disputes of party men all over the world ? They
had set before them the high object of elevating
these poor people, so that they might be even
teachers in England."

252 PILKINGTON OF UGANDA.

But, perhaps, even more interesting than this
meeting at Oxford, was the breakfast held in the
hall of his own College, Pembroke College, Cam-
bridge, at the invitation of the Master. It was an
unique occasion, and Dr. Searle's account of this
gathering, given in the course of a chapel sermon
after Pilkington's death, is a valuable record of that
day. He says : —

"His appearance in our hall about two years ago
made a great impression. The majority at the
breakfast in hall at that time had never met him, or
heard him speak. One was the present Bishop of
Rochester, Dr. Talbot, who kindly wrote to me to
condole with me on the loss of my friend, and
adds: 'I see him standing at your high table that
morning, and his manners and words made a great
impression on me, as strong as any that I have
received for some years.' I can recollect how
intently the Bishop followed him, and took notes oi
his address.

Others were greatly impressed. The Master of
Trinity referred to his choice language and exquisite
delivery, and remarked, though ignorant of his
classical distinction, ' it is like the address of a
scholar.'

All this can be remembered, and serves to show
how precious all natural gifts can become when
consecrated to God. His fine person, his rich voice,
his linguistic ability, his classical knowledge, all told.
But there was something more ; he kept back
nothing of the Gospel, and as he spoke of the
deepest things with a holy reverence, I know our

ON FURLOUGH. 253

hearts burnt within us, and we felt that we had a
prophet amongst us, a man young, indeed, in years,
and though not a doctor of theology, who could,
notwithstanding, lead us to a high wisdom and
instruct us in the way of God more perfectly.

So do teachers learn from their pupils, and must
not disdain to confess it."

Previous to these meetings, Pilkington was present
at the historic Conference of the Student Volunteer
Missionary Union, at Liverpool, in i8g6. Here there
were 717 student delegates from the Colleges of the
world, "]"] being foreign delegates including repre-
sentatives of 19 foreign countries, and at this
conference the motto * The Evangelisation of the
world in this generation,' was deliberately chosen
as the watchword of the S.V.M.U.

We have seen something of the work of Christian
men at Cambridge during the time that Pilkington
was an undergraduate, and at the same time a
similar work was being carried on at Oxford, though
amid greater difficulties, and even then there had
been organised year by year for a considerable time,
an annual Conference of members of the Oxford and
Cambridge Christian Unions for their mutual help
and encouragement.

Meantime, owing to the visit of the " Cambridge
Seven," already mentioned, under the leadership of
C. T. Studd and Stanley Smith, a revival was
taking place in Edinburgh University, fanned to a
flame by the work of Professor Henry Drummond
and by other Christian Professors.

It was some years later, however, that the idea,

254 PILKINGTON OF UGANDA.

borrowed from the Student Volunteer Missionary
Union of America, laid hold on British students and
resulted in the formation of the Student Volunteer
Missionary Union, which, with its sister organisa-
tion, the British College Christian Union, has
drawn together students from all the chief
Universities and Colleges of Great Britain and
Ireland, and through the World's Students*
Christian Federation, is uniting in one great bond
of brotherly Christian sympathy, the National
Students' Christian organisations of Europe, Asia,
Africa, America, Australia and Japan.

The Liverpool Conference was the first outward
demonstration to the churches of this country of the
wide-reaching importance of this movement, though
even that was only an imperfect forecast of the
development which has taken place since that time.

This was the first time that Pilkington had been
brought face to face with the work of the Student
Volunteer Missionary Union, and this Conference
was an inspiration to him, whilst his presence was
an inspiration to the Conference.

The evangelisation of the world in this generation
was a possibility which he had already contemplated,
and he threw his heart and soul into the working out
of this great ideal, contending that if only the natives
of Uganda were used as they might be, Africa at
least might speedily be evangelised.

No one, however, must suppose that Pilkington
was a mere theorist ; he did not encourage others to
high aims and expectations without giving them
the most practical suggestions as to the methods oi

ON FURLOUGH. 255

work to be adopted, and the qualifications needed
for it.

His remarks on this subject at the Liverpool
Conference were of so great value that we may repro-
duce the main part of his address.

He said : —

** I wish to speak to you first of all about the
methods of directly evangelistic work, and secondly,
about the main qualifications needful for it.

I. Methods: — It is most needful to seek to
understand the ignorance of those with whom you
have to deal. If you speak to an African of God, he
does not know what you mean, and your words
convey no meaning to him. If you would win him,
you must give him the testimony of a Christian life.
These people must see that the Gospel will meet
their needs ; they must be made to realize that it is
a power in your life, and can be in theirs. They
must know by your life that your profession is a true
one. See that your words of preaching come
naturally and freely. Never speak to a soul to salve
your own conscience, but only when impelled by the
Holy Ghost.

To gain the heathen we must live with them.
Get close to the hearts you would win for Christ. Let
your heart be entwined with their hearts; let no
barrier of big houses, or clothes, or custom come
between you and the souls you would reach. See
that you suffer no barriers of national prejudice to
mar your work, nor any pride or daintiness. God
can take all these things away from us. Let us
become all things to all men ; become, not pretend

256 PILKINGTON OF UGANDA.

to be. We need not necessarily dress like the
natives, nor make any external change. It is our
hearts that must be one with the hearts of those
we seek. We must love and sympathise with them,
ever remembering that each soul may be made like
the Son of God.

Two practical hints as to method. In Uganda,
we have found after-meetings of great service and
very successful. It is just the outcome of the
principle, that there is no salvation save by the
dealing of the soul with God. We point the people
to God, and say, ' We cannot save you ; God can
and will.'

The power to read the Bible is the key to the
Kingdom of God. With the exception of one case,
I have never known anyone profess Christ who
could not read.

2. Qualifications. There are four things essential
for the work of evangelisation.

1. Physical qualifications.

2. A knowledge of the language.

3. Love and Sympathy.

4. The Power of the Holy Ghost.

The first two are, of course, possessed by natives
in far greater measure than by ourselves ; the third
we share with them ; the fourth is free to all.

If this be so, then the natives are more qualified
to evangelise than we are. The evangelisation of
Africa must be carried out by Africans, and it will be
accomplished when we have a hundred native
evangelists to every European missionary.

Physical Qualifications. I was speaking once to a

ON FURLOUGH. 257

man of the world, and he said he believed that
success or failure depended on this, that some men
do, and some do not, realize the importance of
physical care in the matter of food and sleep. The
best training for a missionary is to be able to live on
the simplest food, and never to indulge in sleep. It
is a most important thing that a man should have
perfect control over these things. It was in the
rnatter of food that the Israelites were first tempted,
and in the matter of sleep that the disciples failed
in ths hour of their Lord's need.

Knowledge of tJie Language. Learn the native
language till you can read the hearts of the people
and get to understand their thoughts. Do not be
content to speak as a European, but aim at
perfection, for on this may depend immortal souls.
Do not let English come between you and the
people. Do not study the language before you go
out, but study the sounds of spoken language — that
is, phonetics. Study not only the Bible and the
hearts of men, but also their throats. Now is the
time to do it. Get Sweet's Primer of Phonetics,
which will teach you to combine sounds and get
control of your vocal organs. When at length you
are learning the language, seek to associate sounds
with objects. Let each object bring some native
sound ringing in your ears, so that the sound brings
the object before your eyes.

Love and Sympathy. Now and here is the time
and place for preparation in these essentials. Take
every opportunity of exercising love and sympathy
towards all whom you meet.
S

258 PILKINGTON OP UGANDA.

The Power of the Holy Ghost. I would urge every
man to accept the power of the Holy Ghost to
change his life now. It is only by the fulness of the
Holy Spirit in our own hearts that we can really
get at the hearts of the people. Let us each one
maintain by any means, and by all means, and at all
times, the fulness of the Holy Ghost in our lives."

Considering the success which Pilkington attained
not only in his Bible translation, but in his know-
ledge of the colloquial, his hints on the methods of
acquiring a foreign tongue may well be laid to heart
by those who would follow in his steps.

He frequently stated that, in his opinion, it was
not so much an essential to be possessed of rare
abilities, as it was to follow definite methods of study,
such as those mentioned in his Liverpool address.

In a letter to his sister at the time she was
working as a Missionary in India, he writes :

•*...! think you will find that the real and
most stringent test of knowledge of a language is
whether you can understand the natives speaking
among one another.

I believe we must learn like children, through
the ear, not by books much ; rather the office of
books is to enable us to make up and understand
when we hear spoken words and sentences, which
only constant hearing (whether by repetition to our-
selves aloud, or by hearing others say them) will
teach us to know in that instinctive way which is
necessary to real speaking or understanding. To
know thoroughly by book is an utterly different
thing from knowing by ear."

ON FURLOUGH. 25d

But it is not all who are ready to adopt the
methods which he adopted. He never cared what
anyone thought of him, and did not mind how
ludicrous he seemed to others, as he copied even the
grimaces of the natives, if only he could achieve his
object of speaking like a native. Nor was he dis-
appointed, for we are told that the natives spoke of
him as " a true Muganda."

But he was not satisfied with a mere knowledge
of the sounds of the language, and the ability to
produce them. If he was to be understood, he felt
that he must master the native idiom, and be able
to use their similes instead of European ones, which
would be utterly unintelligible to the African mind.

It is strange how often this is forgotten by those
who go to work in foreign countries, and it is largely
owing to this that so much of the knowledge gained,
even in mission schools, is superficial, because the
books used in teaching have been based, not on the
customs or even the objects seen in the country, but
upon things which the children have had no oppor-
tunity of understanding, owing to the land in which
they live.

Pilkington therefore devoted himself to the study
of the proverbs and similes of Luganda, and he
describes his plan in a letter to his mother from
Uganda, dated April 5th, 1895.

" I am learning every day, and am daily realizing
my ignorance more. It is a beautiful language, and
most rich and expressive, but with very little in
common with English ; it is necessary to know their
similes and metaphors as well as the mere words ;

260 PILKINGTON OF UGANDA.

what European would talk of having ears as * sharp
as an elephant's,' or being as thin (not as a poker),
but * as a blade of grass ' ; or of being afraid (not of
your shadow), but * of the breaking of a blade of
grass,' etc., etc. These are the things that make
one intelligible and interesting to these people, but
to get to use them naturally, without effort, is
extremely difficult. Then their proverbs 1 Half of
our English ideas are only translatable by means of
proverbs into Luganda — e.g., the words ' impartial
or partial,' * interested or disinterested,' would have
to be turned by using the proverb, ' In matters that
concern the forest, is the monkey udge ? ' or to
translate the expressions, * he's only got himself to
thank,' * your own fault,' etc., you must use a proverb
about sores that come from self-inflicted cuttings
in the flesh for ornamentation ; and nothing else
would be really intelligible to these people in that
context, except that particular proverb. So we are
still a long way from being masters of this lan-
guage."

Such was the great burden of his conversation
when he met with those who, like himself, felt the
paramount claims of the unevangelised world, and
who desired to gain from him some hints as to the
great secret of his success during only one term of
service on the mission field.

At the same time, his earnest devotion to this
great work of his life did not in any way act as a
depressant upon his naturally buoyant spirits, and
he was just as ready as ever to enter into the
interests of those around him, and to have a game

ON FURLOUGH. 261

with some boys, who always seemed to be to him
the most congenial of companions.

Mr. Hyslop writes of his impression of him at this
period :

" In personal appearance he was, I thought,
unchanged. But in the place of the young University
man there was, I might almost say, the mature
veteran missionary, whose heart seemed to be
' bound in the bundle of life ' with his beloved
Baganda, and whose mind was intent on giving
them the Bible in their own tongue. Anything
* Ugandese ' (if I may venture to coin a barbaric
word) attracted and interested him, and I can
remember how inexhaustible was his patience in
answering all importunate questions on his favourite
subject. He was equally at home whether he
discussed the phonetics of the native languages, or
detailed the varieties of plantains to be found in
Central Africa ; whether he enumerated the vagaries
of King Mwanga, or described the customs of his
people."

At the Keswick Convention, in July, i8g6, his
testimony to the work of the Holy Spirit in his own
life and in the Uganda Church was a stimulus to
many, especially to the young men who were there
in large numbers.

One special meeting, at which he took part, was
held, during the time of the Convention, of workers
on behalf of Africa. It was felt to be most desirable
that African Missionaries should have greater oppor-
tunities of benefiting by one another's experiences.
and at this meeting it was suggested that some paper

262 PILKINGTON OP UGANDA.

might be started which would embrace all African
Missions, and form a means of knowing how far the
work of evangelization was being carried on in
different parts of the continent, and by what
agencies. The idea of having an African Year Book
of missions was also mooted, and the need of a text-
book for students of African Mission -work was
mentioned. This latter has since been drawn up by
Mr. Douglas Thornton,* who was one of the
conveners of this meeting.

From Keswick, Pilkington went for a few days to
one of the Universities' Camps for Public School-
boys, at Bexhill, where he was in his element. He
had his bicycle with him, and had some splendid
rides with parties of boys, but even during his time
under canvas he was revising the Uganda Bible, and
he would press boys into the service by getting them
to read out to him from the English revised version,
whilst he had the Luganda before him.

Afterwards, he took one of the elder fellows, whom
he had met at the camp, to have a bicycle tour with
him in Ireland near his home.

This was good preparation for his great ride,
especially as he had one or two minor accidents,
which tested, to some extent, his powers of endurance.
He is said, for instance, to have ridden for the
greater part of one day, with only one pedal, having
damaged the other. We have dwelt at considerable
length on some of the occasions v/hen Pilkington
had the opportunity of taking part in public meetings

• "Africa Waiting," by Douglas M.Thornton. Published by the
Student Volunteer Missionary Union, 22 Warwick Lane, £.C.

ON FURLOUGH. 263

and conferences during his furlough ; it must be left
to another chapter to speak at greater length of
that which was his first work, Bible translation.

CHAPTER XIV.

BIBLE TRANSLATION.

" God's revelation on the one side, its breadth, its
depth, its height ! On the other, a heathen nation,
heathen ideas, a heathen language ! How can the
gulf between them be bridged ?

First, we must understand that a translation of
the Bible can, in the nature of things, be adequate
only in so far as the ideas therein contained have
been transferred to the native mind.

Love, joy, peace, forgiveness, God, worship —
such ideas as these cannot be adequately represented
in any heathen language at first ; because they are
conceptions unknown to heathendom. The words
which are used to translate them will gradually
assume a new, and deeper, and purer meaning ; but
only in so far as the native mind grasps these new
conceptions. Therefore teaching must go hand in
hand with translating. This was markedly the
case in Uganda.

The Swahili language was first used as a
temporary bridge, so to say, on which to stand to
build the permanent one, a translation in Luganda.
This Swahili version we owed to the work of Krapf
and Rebmann, and Bishop Steere and others.

IM

BIBLE TRANSLATION. 265

For a long time the Swahili New Testament was
the text-book of Uganda ; day after day the most
intelligent of the Christians translated from it into
their own language ; day after day they discussed
among themselves the proper rendering of terms,
appealing to the European as to the exact force of
the original ; for years they were thus occupied in
hammering out a version on a native anvil.

Then a tentative translation of St. Matthew's
Gospel was made by Mackay and Ashe ; this was
printed in the country, eagerly read, and criticised,
and revised ; reprinted, again revised, and again
printed; and so on, until a version was produced
which was faithful to the original and idiomatic, a
splendid piece of work, and a grand basis for future
translation."

So wrote Pilkington in "The Gospel in Uganda"
of the first steps of Bible translation in that country.

The difficulties of first committing to writing an
unwritten language is naturally a task of very great
difficulty, and this had been chiefly carried out by
Mackay, who in the first place had printed reading-
sheets' from wooden type cut with his own hand.

Assisted chiefly by Ashe in the way just referred
to, some progress had been made in the translation
of the Gospels ; this work was taken up by the
Rev. E. C. Gordon on the death of Mackay, and at
the time Pilkington had arrived in Uganda, he had
translated the gospel of St. Mark and commenced
St. Luke, having as his helpers Henry Wright Duta
and Sembera Mackay. He also completed the
translation of St. John's Gospel which had been left

266 PILKINGTON OF UGANDA.

unfinished by Mackay. Pilkington then took up the
work of translation, and, with Henry Wright Duta
as his chief assistant, he translated the rest of the
New Testament, and later on revised the whole,
carrying it through the press when in England.

He had translated, also, a considerable part of the
Old Testament while in Uganda; the minor prophets
being contributed by the Rev. W. A. Crabtree, and
the remainder, Pilkington carried out in Ireland
with the help of notes made in Uganda, in association
with Henry Wright Duta.

How he actually did his work, whilst on furlough
in his Irish home, is told us by his sister. Miss
Pilkington, who writes of this as follows : —

" George reached Tore for his furlough in Novem-
ber, 1895. He had set before himself the translation
of the Bible during that time. With this in view,
before leaving Uganda, he went over the untranslated
books with Henry Wright Duta, taking copious
notes.

He had not been at home many days before he
began to work systematically. He first calculated
how much translation he ought to do daily, in order
to finish the whole, leaving a margin of time, and
then set himself a task for each day.

He had no typewriter at first, nor ceuld he
discover any way in which he could be helped. His
progress was thus very slow, and each day he fell
very far short of his appointed task. Soon, however,
hz found that it would save him much time to have
the portion to be translated read aloud. I read
from the revised version, with the authorized open

BIBLE TRANSLATION. 267

beside me for reference, and also a French Bible, in
which he found delicacies of expression which do
not appear in the English. The writing was very
fatiguing to him — it was with great joy that he
received a present of a typewriter. At first, he
could not accomplish as much with it as with pen
and ink, but soon he learnt to write so fast that the
amount of work got through in the day was almost
doubled, and with much less fatigue. We now
secured the services of a lad in the neighbourhood,
who shared the reading aloud with me.

The typewriter was placed on an erection at
which he could stand, without being compelled to
stoop as in writing ; he could now work for hours
without being over-tired, and thus standing sur-
rounded by commentaries, Greek Testament, and the
parts of the Bible already finished, and his notes, he
translated and wrote as I read. As a rule, he was
able to write off quite rapidly ; sometimes there were
long delays while a word was hunted up to ascertain
how it had been translated in a former passage, or
an obscure portion looked out in the commentaries.
As well as I remember, 'Proverbs' was the book
he translated with the greatest ease and rapidity,
that book seemed specially to be adapted to the
Luganda mode of expression and way of thought,
while the long lists of proper names in i Chronicles,
each of which had to be spelled, were by far the
most tedious parts.

He generally worked on without much pause for
conversation, but now and again some verse
suggested a thought, and a talk or discussion ensued

268 PILKINGTON OF UGANDA.

or some idiom or beauty in the language was too
interesting to be passed over in silence ; then would
follow a comparison between Luganda and Hindu-
stani, with probably a digression on the characteristics
of the Waganda and the natives of India, and the
best methods of reaching these different peoples. But,
as a rule, we worked hard without interruption ; I
used often to be reminded of our more youthful days
when play was more absorbing than work, but his
keenness was just the same, and in a game of lawn
tennis, whether as partner or opponent, he never
would allow one to grow slack for a moment — as boy
or man. Not only was he himself whole-hearted
in whatever he undertook, but he inspired others to
be so ; it seemed as if half-heartedness could not
exist in his presence.

He worked generally for six or eight hours a
day, and for three weeks, when we had the house
almost to ourselves, the rest of the family being
away, he reached an average of ten hours a day.
At this time especially his bicycle was a great help,
for half-an-hour's run on it refreshed him so
completely that he could start with new energy.

He always worked with the window of his room
wide open, he being stationed near it, his brain
refused to act without an abundance of fresh air 1

When a book was translated it had, of course, to
be carefully revised, then sent to the Printer, the
proofs received back, revised, and again sent to the
Printer, then once more carefully looked over before
the final printing took place.

He was sometimes away for a few weeks at a

BIBLE TRANSLATION. 269

time addressing meetings, but in order that he
might have time for the translation he was not called
upon to do much deputation work. He spoke at a
good many meetings in our own neighbourhood.

When not at work he was generally talking over
plans for the extension of Christ's Kingdom all over
the world, especially in Uganda and its neighbouring
countries, but Arabia, the Soudan, and all the
Mohammedan world lay very near his heart ; the
great problem of how to bring the Gospel Message
home to the hearts of the Mohammedans was a
most frequent topic of conversation.

He liked to talk over anything that he was about
to write, such as articles for Magazines, and ' The
Gospel in Uganda,' which Mr. Baskerville and he
wrote while at home.

During the last months of his furlough, his
thoughts were much occupied by the three years
enterprise for Uganda, he was constantly making
plans and calculations as to how the European
Missionaries might move on to new ground, leaving
the work already established to natives. The
evangelisation of the whole world was always before
him.

He was one of those who longed to impart a
new idea to others, and sometimes at a very early
hour in the morning, unable to wait any longer, he
would seek me out full of eagerness to tell of some
new plan that had struck him, or calculation he had
made as to how many heathen could be reached in
a. given time ; he loved to work out his ideas in a
mathematical form, and to illustrate them with

270 PILKINGTON OF UGANDA.

diagrams, or sometimes it was to put forward some
fresh argument in a discussion which had been cut
short the night before.

Notwithstanding the fact that so much of his time
was devoted to work, his interest and share in the
family Hfe was very keen. He entered into all our
plans for amusement with boyish zest, and was
always the life of the party, bringing fun and good
humour wherever he went.

He left us for Uganda in October, 1897, deeply
happy in having accomplished the task he had set
before him."

Besides his translation of the Bible, Pilkington
also revised the Prayer Book, and the Rev.
T. W. Drury, Principal of the Church Mission-
ary College, Islington, who came in contact
with him in connection with this work, bears
witness to the clear grasp of Christian doctrine
which he possessed. This is all the more remark-
able seeing that Pilkington had not in the ordinary
way been trained in Theology, yet no doubt the
close study of God's word necessary for the
translation had been in itself a Theological training.

But in addition to translational work, Pilkington
was the author of one important original pamphlet
in Luganda, as well as a number of hymns. This
pamphlet, under the title of " Anonya Alaba, He
who seeketh findeth," dealt with the teaching of
the Church of Rome.

The title of the first chapter, * Love," is
suggestive of the spirit in which he entered into
the discussion of controversial questions with those

BIBLE TRANSLATION. 271

who differed from him, and it was this which gained
for him the respect in which he was held by all
parties.

The basis of his argument was, as he said, " the
book of the Apostles of our Lord." He referred to
this as the source from which both parties professed
to derive their teaching, at the same time illustrating
his remarks by references to Church History.

One chapter is headed with the extraordinary
title " Mr. Eat and put back." In this he alluded
to the way in which the Church of Rome had taken
away much from the Word of God and inserted
her own traditions in its place ; this he compared
to the action of the white ants who eat out the
inside of a log of wood and put earth in its place

By such similes as these he was able to gain the
attention of the people, and what is more, to make
his words intelligible to them.

CHAPTER XV.

THE CHURCH IN UGANDA: A RETROSPECT.

The story of the Uganda Church, whether we think
of it as the wonderful cathedral on Namirembe Hill
and all the work connected with it, or as the body
of Christians gathered out from heathendom in the
centre of dark Africa, was often told by Pilkington
during his furlough. But he did more. He has
furnished us with a vivid picture of the work in
Uganda, in the shape of four scenes, which are
published in pamphlet form,* but which we are
enabled to reproduce here as we believe they form
the best permanent record of these addresses.
"A HUNDRED thousand souls brought into close
contact with the Gospel — half of them able to read
for themselves ; two hundred buildings raised by
native Christians in which to worship God and read
His Word; two hundred native evangelists and
teachers entirely supported by the Native Church ;
ten thousand copies of the New Testament in
circulation ; six thousand souls eagerly seeking daily
instruction ; statistics of baptism, of confirmation,
of adherents, of teachers, more than doubling yearly

*"The Gospel in Uganda." Church Missionary Society,
Salisbury Square, E.G.

m

THE CHURCH IN UGANDA. 273

for the last six or seven years, ever since the return
of the Christians from exile ; the power of God
shown by changed lives ; and all this in the centre
of the thickest spiritual darkness in the world!
Does it not make the heart reel with mingled
emotions of joy and fear, of hope and apprehension?

Well may Christian hearts rejoice with trembling
as they hear of it ! Well may they ' labour in
prayers ' for such possibilities, either of magnificent
success or heartbreaking disaster ! "

The following is an attempt to describe what the
writer has seen of these things :

Scene I.
" We are in the great church in the capital on
Namirembe Hill. It is a week-day, any week-day
but Monday, about eight o'clock in the morning.
As we glance down the aisles of poles, we see that
the whole building is filled with groups of learners,
sitting most of them on the floor, but the teachers
and some others on chairs or stools ; some dressed
in robes of snow-white calico, others in bark-cloth
knotted over the right shoulder. What is this large
group, fifty or sixty in number ? This is a class for
St. Matthew's Gospel, and this teacher with refined
and intellectual face is Thomas Semfuma, and he is
teaching St. Matthew's Gospel. There are two or
three other classes for this one Gospel, which, as it
was the first translated, is still the most popular.
And who is that keen and energetic little man who
is organizing those elementary classes for reading
near the end of the church? That is Wambuzi,

274 PILKINGTON OF UGANDA.

God-gifted for that, to us, tedious and trying work.
No hound keener after game than he after every
soul that can from Heathen be transformed into a
seeker after God ; none more unwearied than he
in hammering into dull heads the letters and
syllables which are to be the means of letting in
the Gospel light. Come out for a moment from the
church, and from the high vantage point of Nami-
rembe's summit, look out at that cluster of bee-hive
huts on that hillside opposite. That is an encamp-
ment of Wasoga, come from their homes across the
Nile to make noisy music with the blare of their
horns and the monotonous twang of their harps for
Mwanga's royal ears. If you go there this after-
noon, you will be not unlikely to meet indefatigable
Wambuzi as he passes from hut to hut, trying to
coax these wild and untaught but good-natured and
easily-led Wasoga int© giving heed to the things of
God. Many and many a Musoga has gone home
with the first beginnings of Divine knowledge
instilled into his mind by Wambuzi's persevering
efforts. May God give many like him !

There are many other classes, forty or so in all,
with an average of thirty or forty in each class.
Each of the four Gospels is represented by more
than one class ; and some of the European Mission-
aries are teaching the Epistles, while one organizes
and supervises the whole.

But what is that sound that recalls us to the
church and its congregation, nearly forgotten as we
gazed across the hills into far-off Kikabya and
Bulemezi, and thought of the millions lying behind

THE CHURCH IN UGANDA. 275

those hills to north, and east, and west, and

wondered when, oh, when !

But the loud, rhythmical beat of the great drum
calling us to prayers, heard for some four or five
miles round, disturbs our reverie, and we return to
the church as the classes break up and gather in the
front while one of the native readers or deacons
gives out a hymn ; then the Apostles' Creed is
recited as by men who believe it : then prayers,
some from the Prayer-book, some extempore. And
then the assembly breaks up, and we watch them
dispersing, the bright sun gleaming on the snowy
robes of the chiefs, and less dazzlingly on the
humble bark-cloth of the poorer folk, as down the
hill they go to pursue their various avocations —
chiefs to decide disputes or pay their respects to
the king; women to cultivate and cook; boys to
dance attendance on their lords or run messages ;
some to the market, some out to their farms in the
country."

Scene 11.

" It is three o'clock one Friday afternoon, and again
we climb the hill and enter the great church ; it
is not full, but perhaps a thousand or more are
gathered on this first Friday in the month to hear
what God has been doing throughout Uganda and in
some neighbouring countries, and to bid prayerful
farewell to those who are being sent out with the
Gospel message to needy places, and to bring
offerings to God for the support of this work.

Who is that young fellow wh® is pleading with

276 PILKINGTON OF UGANDA.

tears for more labourers for that dark spot where he
has been working against great odds for some
months ? That is Nathaniel. As he speaks of the
need and the encouragements he has met with, and
the difficulties, we are encouraged and depressed by
turns.

And who is this who is telling of a great work in
Koki, far away to the south-west ? Defiant opposi-
tion, slander, misunderstandings, and then prayer
answered ; charms brought to be broken or burnt ;
a weekly congregation of two or three hundred souls,
besides others in the country ; books bought in con-
siderable quantities, and sixty able to read a Gospel
where not one could read before. This is lame
Michael, who, in spite of his lameness, result of a
bullet in the Mohammedan wars, undertook the
journey to Koki, one hundred and thirty miles away,
and with the help of half a dozen other teachers, bore
a bright Gospel testimony in that interesting country,
befriended, it is true, by the King, Kamswaga, whose
handsome and intelligent features and quiet dignity
of manner have greatly impressed all Europeans who
have known him. This young ruler decided a year
ago to be instructed in the reformed Christian
religion, in spite of the great pressure brought to
bear on him from more than one influential quarter.
He spent a few weeks in the capital, and at that
time declared his intention of being a Protestant
by attending services on Sunday in the big church ;
after his return to Koki with Michael, and when he
had by his instruction learnt more of the Protestant
religion, he wrote a letter to the Church at Mengo

THE CHURCH IN UGANDA. 277

declaring his fixed intention of persevering in the
course he had entered on, in spite of opposition. The
possibilities of service offered in Koki are unique.

Or perhaps we have the privilege this afternoon of
listening to the story of evangelisation in Toro, two
hundred miles due west from Mengo, and therefore
within only a trifling distance of Stanley's Great
Forest and the dwarfs. Perhaps it is Noah Nakiwafu
who is telling about the trials and encouragements
there ; how Kasagama, the King of Toro, welcomed
them, and how presents were sent and efforts made
to induce him to profess a less pure form of Christian
faith — in vain. How, imitating the example of the
native evangelists, although they never spoke to
him about it, he became a total abstainer, strange
novelty for a great African chief; and how now (if
we may project into past time what we now know
to be the case) he has asked for baptism. How a
church was built in some still more remote spot, and
application made for teachers, and how none were
forthcoming ; how the two churches in Toro were
filled each Sunday with congregations of two or
three hundred ; how the King of Unyoro, Kabarega,
sent an army and broke up the work in the more
northern of the two stations (where Japheth, long
ago baptised, is chief), but only for a time ; and how
the natives with their teachers were in hiding until
the army retired ; and how afterwards Lwabudongo,
Kabarega's prime minister, wishing for peace with
the British, came to Kasagama and became his man,
and is now, with many of his followers, desirous of
Christian instruction.

278 PILKINGTON OF UGANDA.

But we must pass on from Noah's most interesting
story, and listen to the accounts from nearer home :
from Kyagwe, where some sixty churches have in a
year sprung up, under the fostering care of the
central station at Ngogwe ; from the Islands of Sese,
where more than twenty churches on as many islands
testify to the wish of the sailors and fishermen of
Uganda to hear the Gospel, in spite of the foolish
belief that no Christian or reader ever can be a
successful fisherman ; as soon as the fish see a book
in the angler's hands, either they will all die, or, at
any rate, refuse to be caught.

But at last the various speakers have finished,
and a hymn of praise has been sung, and prayers
have been offered for further blessing on the work.
And now a list of names is being read, and as each
name is called out, we see a young man rise from
his seat, till some eight or ten are standing up ;
these are evangelists who are being sent out to some
of the country churches. And now an address is
being given, urging, probably, on these young
messengers of Christ, their duties and responsibilities,
and on the Native Church their part in the work,
their duty of prayer, and the privilege of giving in
support of their evangelists, for all the native
teachers are supported by the natives : ' It is more
blessed to give than to receive, and we Europeans
cannot rob you of your blessing by supporting your
teachers,' so we have often told them. And so,
when the address is over, we shall see them coming
forward with their offerings to God— shells, which
they deposit in a large native basket placed in the

THE CHURCH IN UGANDA. 279

centre <»f the aisle; calico, bark cloth — the beauti-
fully prepared bark of a kind of fig tree, torn off in
strips, scraped, beaten with grooved mallets, and
sewn together with plantain fibre ; mats ; fowls ;
goats ; cows sometimes, and even ivory ; and then
comes a long stream of women and girls, each
carrying a bunch of plantains or a bundle of sweet
potatoes on her head, till the pile of offerings grows
to an alarming size, though its money value is not
great ; and then a prayer of dedication is offered,
and we ask the Lord to accept and make use of
these gifts which He has allowed us to give Him ;
and then the benediction, and the service is ended.

These monthly Missionary Meetings are now
being established in other centres, too.

Do these evangelists do good work ?

A Missionary visited a small island in the Lake
two years ago, and found one person only there who
could read at all. Two teachers were sent, and
after nine months sixty were able to read a Gospel.
Two teachers were sent to another island : in a
year one church, or rather hovel, capable of con-
taining a hundred by crushing, had become four
churches, one of them holding seven hundred souls,
and the congregation of a hundred had become a
thousand, and some fifty or more had been baptized,
and many more were catechumens ; its name is
Busi. You can see it on the map.

The teacher whom God chiefly used to produce
these wonderful results is a man of spiritual power ;
on fire with love to God and man. ' Oh, Lord, we
have only the bare line, Thou hast the hook,' so he

280 PILKINGTON OF UGANDA.

prayed one day as he asked that souls might that
day be saved. And God has proved that hook
sharp and barbed to His servant who has counted
upon Him.

The work done and being done by these teachers
has opened our eyes to marvellous possibilities for
Africa and the World. 'The World to be
evangelised in this generation ' — can it be done ?

Kyagwe, a province fifty miles square, has had
the Gospel preached, by lip and life, through almost
every village in the space of one short year, by some
seventy native evangelists, under the supervision of
only two Europeans : more than two thousand
square miles and only two Europeans ! The
teacher, on Busi above mentioned, has by this time
probably accomplished his purpose of visiting every
house in that island with the message of Salvation
on his lips. Soon we may hope that there will be
no house left in Uganda that has not had God's
message brought thus to its very threshold. What
is to prevent the extension of this system two
hundred miles in every direction round Mengo — -
this is the distance of our furthest outpost, Toro — -
in the course of a few years, three or four ? Only
the lack of the comparatively few European trainers
and organizers needed for so magnificent an
expansion ! Will they not be forthcoming ? ' Let
us go up at once and possess it ; for we are well
able to overcome it.' "

Scene HI.
" And now let me transport you to the wooded

THE CHURCH IN UGANDA. 281

island of Kome ; for, standing on its centre ridge,
we can gaze across the Lake to east, and west, and
north — a very lovely sight. There is Ntebe twenty
miles away on the mainland, the Government
Station, the port of Mcngo ; we have there a church,
in fact, three churches and four teachers, with a
promising work. On that bare island of Nsazi,
separated by only a narrow piece of water from that
on which we stand, and contrasting strangely its
treeless hillsides with Rome's rich forests, there is a
small church. It is only some two years since a
missionary, visiting Nsazi, found there only one soul
who could read at all. Two teachers were sent
there. After nine months' work there were sixty
who could read pretty well.

Then over to the east lies Lwaji, first of the
Buvuma Islands, though politically part of Uganda ;
here is a church and a keen desire to learn. And
far away behind Lwaji, we see the large Buvuma
Island, dark-wooded ridge bounding the furthest
horizon ; and about it lie its smaller sisters of the
Buvuma group, all still unoccupied by the Gospel,
except uttermost Bugaya, the one bright spot in
great darkness. On this outlying island a good
work seems to be going on ; the two chiefs of it seem
favourably disposed, and several have learnt to read ;
a church has been built. The three Muganda
teachers sent there showed much real Christian zeal
and self-denial, resolutely putting up with food to
which they were not accustomed (and little enough
of that), a kind of canary seed made into porridge,
husks and all, eaten with milk, or with a kind

282 PILKtNGTOW OV UGANDA.

of sour fruit ; it is poor stuff after plantains.

A boy from this island of Kome, a slave by old
native law, followed one of the missionaries to the
capital, and finding that he could claim his freedom,
he did so, and was declared free by the Katikiro. A
bright idea struck him ; he would go and release
from domestic slavery a sister, whose master owned
her by the same right by which he had owned him,
the brother. So off he went — to return crestfallen ;
he had met only ridicule and contempt. * What,
she, a member of a decent family, take a freedom
which wasn't hers! Was ever the like heard!'
Like the Irish-woman, who replied to the kind-
hearted stranger who, summoned by her screams,
rebuked her husband for so cruelly beating his wife,
* And who's got a better right ? ' A willing slave is
a slave indeed.

Turning our eyes a little to the south, we see
Bukasa, now a C.M.S. Station, and the centre of the
work in the Sese Islands. Yes, let our eyes rest a
while on its long ridge ; it is a bright spot ; had you
once seen its tall and hideous (with small-pox marks)
but delightful master, you would not soon forgot
him. He it was who sent back, unbidden by any
voice but that of God and the native teacher, the
slaves captured on Buvuma Island, in the war that
took place there some four years ago. Those who
saw him shoving his way through crowds of book-
buyers in the old days on Namirembe, and returning
to the fray again and again to purchase reading
sheets for his islanders, when dearth of books had
caused the missionaries to refuse to sell more than

THE CHURCH IN UGANDA. 283

one copy at a time to a single purchaser, will not
forget his persistence and jovial good temper.

He and two other island chiefs, when almost all
the islands were in the hands of the Roman
Catholics, stood firm in spite of much opposition,
and that, though their own knowledge at that time
was only trifling. Would that we had as good
reason to believe that the other two are the Lord's
as we have of him !

The large Island of Sese is not generally visible
from Kome, but we can imagine that we see it some
ten miles beyond Bukasa, rising high above all its
satellites, twisted like some great snake upon the
Lake's bosom. All its chiefs are Roman Catholics ;
yet on it are some three hundred and twenty Protes-
tants, nicknamed, we are told, ' the people of the
Holy Ghost,' and enduring some persecution and
opposition for the truth's sake, ignorant as they are.
The Native Church has sent them two teachers and
a plentiful supply of books; and they hold the fort
there, despite the presence of three French Mission-
aries ; the latter have had a station there for 3'ears.
Pray for this little struggling church.

On that Sese group of islands, and on those in
the midst of which Kome lies, there are some twenty
churches ; and in no part of Uganda has a greater
desire for * readmg ' been shown than on Sese. May
the holy fire be passed on to Buvuma and Kigulu,
and on through the islands that lie along the
Kavirondo coast to Ukerewe, and there mingle with
the flame that is already glimmering at Nasa, from
which bright reports have reached us lately of the

284 PILKINGTON OF UGANDA.

Gospel preached each Sunday in six different places
round; and where the Gospels are rapidly being
translated into the Sukuma language and being
printed. And may it also spread down the western
side to Bumbide, most northern of the islands in the
German sphere, and along the southern shore of the
Lake to Nasa again."

Scene IV.

" It is Sunday afternoon, and some eighty souls
are just about to be admitted into the visible Church
by baptism. They are arranged — men on the left,
women on the right — in a great semicircle by the
font near the door of the church. One by one they
answer the solemn questions, and are baptized into
solemn covenant with the Triune God.

It is a solemn scene, and yet the truth must be
confessed that familiarity has taken much of its
solemnity away. How solemn must have been those
secret baptisms ten years back, when baptizer and
baptized must have felt that before long the baptism
of water might be sealed by a baptism of blood !
But, now, when fifty baptisms take place on an
average every week, and when, alas, a profession of
Christianity is sometimes made for the sake of social
advantages, the service is often not what it might be.

How have the candidates been prepared for
admission to this solemn rite ? Probably some two
or three years ago they began to learn to read,
taught in their own homes by their friends, or,
perhaps, by teachers in the various country churches.
It is astonishing what an educational value this

THE CHURCH IN UGANDA. 285

reading of God's Word has ; their very physiognomy
seems to be changed by it, so that it is almost
possible to tell a reader by his outward appearance.
And in no other way does the reality of God seem to
impress itself so forcibly on the native mind as by
the daily poring over the pages of the New Testa-
ment, at first mechanically, and then with more and
more glimmering of meaning, until at last the Divine
message of love is intelligently grasped, and perhaps
driven home by some sermon, or meeting, or the
faithful words of a friend, and another catechumen
is added to the roll, and, we trust, another soul to
the company of Christ. It is a noticeable and
deeply instructive fact that profession of conversion
never, or hardly ever, has been made by a M Uganda
who cannot read, except, of course, a few special
cases of blind or old. At the close of some of our
services, after-meetings are sometimes held, and those
present are asked to signify in some way their
acceptance of God's gift of eternal life ; out of many
hundreds the writer has never known any such
profession made by a person who had not learnt to
read; the very words are not intelligible to those
who hear them for the first time — sin, salvation,
love, faith, etc., convey little meaning to their minds.
Be it understood, at the same time, that on this very
account we take the greater pains to point out to
them continually that there is nothing to prevent an
absolutely ignorant and utterly sinful soul, the very
moment the Gospel message is grasped and believed,
obtaining the full and free salvation which we
(proclaim.

286 PILKINGTON OF UGANDA.

In some such way, with infinite variety of detail
and experience, has each individual of the class of
thirty catechumens, whom we see sitting at the feet
of, say, Samuel Naganafa, now Mukasa, been brought
to desire baptism ; some, alas, no doubt, have been
influenced by worldly motives of social advancement,
or by the mere example of others to enrol themselves
for admission into the Church.

For two or three months past they have been daily
carefully instructed in St. Matthew's Gospel, and are
now half-way through St. John. One of them reads
aloud a passage, then Samuel makes comments and
asks questions, and his pupils ask questions, some
wise, some foolish, e.g., 'Why did John the Baptist
send disciples to the Lord to ask if He were the
Christ ? ' ' Wisdom is justified of her chldren —
what does this mean ? ' ' What was the name of
Peter's wife's mother ? ' * and his wife's name ? '
* How is it that Herod, whose death we read of
some time ago, reappears on the scene ? ' and so on.

When four month's instruction or so is com-
plete, they will be examined, and some tears shed,
probably, if they ' fall ' {i.e., are ' ploughed ') ; then if
no reason appears, on inquiry made, to prevent their
baptism, they will be brought forward the next
Sunday afternoon. And so the Church grows."

CHAPTER XVI.

THE FUTURE OF UGANDA: A FORECAST.

We have glanced at the past, how about the future?
Time was, when Uganda was regarded as a mere
isolated centre in the mission field, a land of
romance but little more. But that day is gone.
Africa is no longer looked upon as the special
preserve of the explorer, the scientist, or the
Missionary. We need fields for the development
of our commerce, and an outlet for the energies of
our race. A great part of our British Empire lies
in Africa, and we must see to its development. We
have had put before us the ideal of a great highway
from Cairo to the Cape, with its two most important
junctions, Khartum and Uganda, and whilst we
owe the conception of this project to one well-
known living Englishman, we must not forget those
to whom, as much as any, is due the interest now
being taken by Great Britain in this splendid
scheme.

Gordon from the north, Livingstone from the
south, advanced along this line, each to die alone,
though under very different circumstances ; yet
each was fully convinced that some day Christian
England would awake to her responsibility to these

288 PILKINGTON OF UGANDA.

regions. " I beg to direct your attention to Africa,"
said Livingstone in the Senate House at Cambridge
in December, 1857, ** I know that within a few
years I shall be cut off in that country which is now
open ; do not let it be shut again ! I go back to
Africa to try to make an open path for commerce
and Christianity ; do you carry out the work which
I have begun ; I leave it with you."

"An open path for commerce and Christianity"
was that for which these great pioneers lived and
died, one in purpose with the men who laid down
their lives for Uganda, the chief connecting link
between the north and south of the new World's
highway.

It is not for naught that Mackay pleaded for
helpers to help to bridge the chasm between
civilization and savagery, that Hannington lost his
life ere he reached Uganda, furnishing by his death
a trumpet call to the Church, more eloquent even
than his life, or that Pilkington gave to the Uganda
nation a completed Bible, in itself the best bridge
from heathenism to Christianity. These African
graves do not breathe to us the language of despair,
keenly though we feel the loss of leaders such as
these, are they not an inspiration to others to follow
in their steps ? There has been some talk of revenge
as our brave soldiers step by step approached
Khartum, and when the great victory of Omdurman
was an accomplished fact we have been told that
Gordon is avenged. But is it so ? Gordon's death
calls for something more than that, above all it is a
challenge to Christian England to carry the

THE FUTURE OF UGANDA. 289

blessings of Christianity thoughout that land which
has been desolated by the scourge of Muslim
fanaticism. How, then, is this to be done ? The
answer which Pilkington would have given may, we
think, be summed up in one word, " Uganda."

It has ever been the aim of British administrators
to employ the peoples of savage or semi-civilized
lands to be the chief agents in the development of
their own country, and to this fact may largely be
attributed the success of British colonisation. In
no part of the world is this so important as in
Central Africa. Whatever is to be done there must
be done by the native races, and our first efforts
should therefore be directed to learning the native
languages, studying the characteristics of different
peoples, bringing to the front those who are qualified
to be the leaders of others, rather than attempting
to do all by European agency.

Pilkington realised this most fully, and in his
plans for the development of the Uganda Mission,
he regarded Uganda and its people as the great
means by which East Central Africa at least should
be evangelised.

With this in view he put forward what he called
" A three years' enterprise in Central Africa," to
correspond to the celebration of the last three years
of the first century of the Church Missionaxy
Society all over the world.

In this he said : —

" The Church Missionary Society is entering on a
Three Years' Enterprise. The key-note is Exten-
sion. New supplies of men and means, it is hoped,
U

280 PILKINGTON OF UGANDA.

will be forthcoming. How are they to be applied
to the best advantage ? May God Himself guide !

With great diffidence, conscious as he is of only
partial knowledge of the World's needs, and
conscious also of the bias that must attend all
strong affections ; with great diffidence, therefore,
but none the less with great earnestness, does the
writer put forward a Three Years' Enterprise for
Central Africa, asking for it the calm, and balanced,
and prayerful consideration of all friends of the
Society and especially of those who directly control
its operations. Need it be said that the basis of
operations for this proposed enterprise is Uganda ?

Half of the great country of Unyoro is ready to
receive evangelists ; there are already under instruc-
tion a good many hundreds of its inhabitants ;
through this country, and by means of its people,
lies the road to the Nile valley and to the great
forest. Kavirondo is open, Usukuma is open,
Karagwe is open, Koki is open. Nkole and Ukedi
are within reach and touch, though not absolutely
open at present. In fact, for two hundred miles east,
south and west from Mengo, the country lies, for
the most part, wide open to the Gospel ; to the north,
seventy or a hundred miles is open. The country
is healthy ; native help is available as it is nowhere
else in the world ; the desire for reading has already
been carried to some of the extreme points within
this radius ; in language, and sentiment, and mode
of life, the whole region is closely knit together ; in
a word, there is good reason to hope that, as far as
local conditions are concerned, a circle, including

THE FUTURE OF UGANDA. 291

within its radius of two hundred miles the three
lakes, the Albert, Albert Edward, and the Victoria,
an area (excluding the lakes) of nearly 100,000
square miles, might be fully occupied, if not
evangelised, within three years' time !

How would this enormous extension — multi-
plying by ten at least the present area of occupied
territory — be undertaken ?

Wanted, first, European leaders for bands of
native evangelists. The province of Kyagwe, as
already mentioned, more than 2,000 square miles,
is being evangelised by means of two Europeans at
the central station, directing the work of seventy
or a hundred native helpers. At the same rate, a
hundred European Missionaries would be needed
to lead and organise the evangelisation of this vast
circle. Will they not be forthcoming ?

Wanted, secondly, an army of native evangelists ;
it is believed that the raw material for these would
be forthcoming, but in order to train them efficiently,
a few more European missionaries are needed.

Wanted, thirdly, about ten men to master the
native languages, and translate into them.

Wanted, in all, from home, one hundred
additional men missionaries and some lady mis-
sionaries, full of the Holy Ghost.

Is this too large a demand ?

Even judging by the irrational method of a
count of heads, it is not much ; these men are not
needed for Uganda, not even for this circle of two
hundred miles only ; we plead for the millions upon
millions of souls in Central Africa ; and we only

292 PILKINGTON OF UGANDA.

ask for a paltry one hundred missionaries. Area
and population alike call for large reinforcements in
Central Africa.

But there is another method, a rational one, of
distributing missionary workers, and that is, so to
dispose of available forces as to bring in the greatest
return in the end.

Take an illustration : There are two places that
may be occupied. Let us call them A and B. To
one or both of these, six missionapies are to be sent.
At A, there is a great desire for instruction and a
missionary spirit among the converted. At B, there
are practically no converts and no missionary spirit ;
in fact, the Holy Spirit is at work at A but not at B.
Although the population of B is ten times that of A,
the irrational, but plausible, method is adopted, and
five are sent to B, and only one to A, and even so,
complaints are made that A is receiving more than
its fair share of workers.

After ten years, little or no impression has been
made at B ; the five workers are discouraged and
depressed, and their depression has acted on the
Church at home. At A, the work has progressed,
but the workers cannot keep pace with the growing
need ; and the missionary enthusiasm, not having
found any adequate outlet, has decreased. But let
the other method be adopted, and let all the six be
be sent to A, in spite of short-sighted objections.
In five years, as one result of their work, a body of
twenty well-trained native evangelists invade B ; by
the end of another five years the fire of God has
been transferred to the second centre. The Church

THE FUTURE OP UGANDA. 293

at home and the Church abroad alike are encouraged
and strengthened in faith.

But this is a digression.

How would our supposed reinforcement be em-
ployed ?

Each fresh missionary would spend a year or
more at first in Uganda ; he would learn the Luganda
language, become acquainted with native ways of
thought (the same through all that region), gather
round him a few native helpers, and open communi-
cations across the missionary frontier. To do this he
would most probably settle down at the furthest
C.M.S. station in the direction of his proposed ad-
vance ; for instance, for Central Unyoro, Wadelai,
and the Nile Valley, he would proceed at first to
Kinakulya ; for the west and the Great Forest, to
Toro ; for the south, to Koki ; for the east and
south-east, to Luba's or Mumia's ; for the north-
east, to Namuyonjo's. When the time appeared ripe,
he would advance with his chosen helpers across
the border, and open a tentative station some fifty
miles beyond what had till then been our outpost ;
this new station would in turn become a basis from
which to advance still further, as fresh reinforcements
came out. There can be little doubt that in places,
more numerous than we could even wish to occupy
by Europeans, the natives would extend a welcome,
and in most cases build a native house for the mis-
sionary, and supply him with native food.

Consider (i.) the geographical position of
Uganda.

(ii.) The present open doors.

294 PILKINGTON OP UGANDA.

(iii.) The construction of a railway.

(iv.) The suitabiHty of the natives for evangelistic
work.

(v.) Their desire to engage in it.

(vi.) Their preparation by contact with two typical
forms of perversions of Scripture truth.

(vii.) Their former leading position in the Lake
Region.

(viii.) The past marvellous history of the country.

(ix.) The abundant ' seed of the Church ' sown
(martyrs, Bishop Hannington, Mackay, and many
others).

Are not all these leading up to a future worthy of
such a past ? "

Pilkington, as will be seen by much that has been
already said, was a firm believer in the evangelisation
of Africa by Africans, and in support of this he
furnishes us with the following contrasts : —

" A European is on a journey in Central Africa :
how laboriously he trudges along, followed by a train
of porters, who carry his tent, his clothing, his camp
bed and bedding, his cups, plates, knives and forks,
his box of provisions, his cooking utensils, his chair
and table ; notice how eagerly he avails himself of
the shade of any tree that he is fortunate enough to
find at his mid-day halting-place ; see him carried
over that great papyrus swamp^ half a mile broad,
on the shoulders of the strongest of his porters
themselves up to the chest in water. Observe the
elaborate preparations for his meal; the tent pitched,
the table laid, the cloth spread on it, the plates, the
tea, the meat, the potatoes, the rice ; and when all

THE FUTURE OF UGANDA. 295

is done, it seems to him a rough and hard life,
calculated to produce fever, or send him home,
prematurely worn out, to a more congenial climate
and surroundings.

A Muganda is on a journey : how gaily he trots
along; his head, it may be bare, it may be covered
with a turban of cloth or bark-cloth, not for fear of
the sun so much as for appearance sake ; or perhaps
he is carrying all his luggage on a plantain leaf,
twisted in turban shape, on his head. It is twelve
o'clock ; he has had no food since the previous
evening ; but he thinks nothing of that — he is pre-
pared to march on, if need be, till sundown, fasting;
but probably he will turn into one of the houses in
the garden just ahead, and make an ample meal of
steamed plantains or potatoes. He needs no table,
table-cloth, or plates; the plaintain leaves which
have helped to cook the meal, pressed down in the
mouth of the huge earthen cooking pot to keep the
steam in, will supply the place of all these three
European necessities. Spread on the grass-covered
floor, they receive the mass of steamed and steaming
plantains ; and the guests sit round, on mats if they
have them ; and the master of the ceremonies divides
the huge lump into chunks for each guest, using his
hand, covered with a piece of plantain leaf, as a
carving knife : and so they fall to, with their fingers
for knives and forks ; they have previously carefully
washed their hands with plantain fibre or with
water. And so the lump disappears, as bit by bit
they roll it in their hands, push in their right thumbs
to make a sort of spoon, and dip it in the gravy (if

296 PILKINGTON OF UGANDA.

they have any), and so convey it to their mouths.
The meal done, the hands are washed again ; and
off goes our traveller, prepared to travel, should that
prove necessary, for another tv^enty-four hours with-
out any further meal, though he will be disappointed
if he does not reach some hospitable roof that
evening where similar refreshment will be provided.
When night comes, no elaborate preparations are
necessary ; no camp bed, no mosquito net, he simply
undoes his pack, takes out his mat, lies down on it,
and, wrapping himself up, head and all, in a bark-
cloth, he sleeps till day-break. Is it surprising if we
sometimes feel inclined to envy their simple lives ?

Another picture: an European is teaching a
class ; how slowly come his words, how painfully
sometimes ; how he struggles to express himself !
Do you see the lurking smile on those faces that
good manners would fain hide ? — but the struggle is
a hard one ; some mispronunciation, some solecism,
some mistake has provoked it. How flat some of
his illustrations seem to fall ! And yet this is not
some young missionary in his first attempt ; for
years he has endeavoured to master the native
language, and not without success; but it is a
partial success only.

Beside this class is another, taught by a
native. How the words flow from his lips ; how
quickly question and answer and exposition follow
one another ! If there is a smile, it is at some apt
illustration or some apposite proverb : ' Does the
monkey decide forest cases? ' i.e., 'Is it reasonable
to appeal to an umpire who has a personal iaterest

THE FUTURE OF UGANDA. 297

in the point at issue ? ' or another of that infinite
store. Africa must be evangelised by Africans ;
surely this is the obvious moral that we are forced
to draw.

Africans are fitted for the work, because they are
better adapted to the country. Especially are they
better travellers than Europeans. Then they are
better adapted b}^ their knowledge of the language
and native modes of thought. An illustration which
appeals to a European need not impress a native,
and vice versa. Arguments which are conclusive to
us prove nothing to a native, and again vice versa.
Most important of all, it is impossible, too, in this
case, to attribute the effects of the grace of God in
his life to a white skin or to his bringing up. A
native can say to a native with a cogency that no
European's words can have, ' The Lord and Saviour
who saved and saves me, can save you too.'

Where are Africa's evangelists ? God must
have them somewhere. Let us find them, and train
them, and use them. The promise of the fulness of
the Spirit is as much for the native as for the
European, for the promise is ' to all that are afar off,
even as many as the Lord our God shall call.' "

But there is another contrast to which he would
draw our attention, which shows to us the wonderful
change which the Gospel has wrought in Uganda.
He writes : —

" The work that is going on in Uganda is mainly
carried on by natives ; the Sunday services, the
preaching, the teaching, all are done by men who
once were heathen. Do you know what that word

298 PILKINGTON OF UGANDA.

means ? Ask old Isaiah, * the good-natured giant,'
how three hundred brothers and cousins of the king
were penned within the narrow compass of the dyke,
that still may be seen by the roadside some two or
three miles north of Mengo, and left there by their
brother's orders to starve to death, a six days' misery
of nameless horrors.

*0h, a goat I was herding got lost, and so
my master cut off my ear' — so a boy of fifteen
answers, as if it were the most natural thing in
the world, when you ask him how he became so
mutilated.

Ask Sezi, jovial Sezi, in spite of the loss of both
his eyes, who it was that gouged them out, and
why ? Ask any of our people what Heathenism
means ; for they have seen and can tell you ; they
know (better than many a wiseacre at home) what
Christless humanity (black or white) is and always
will be, when the salt taken away, it is left to itself,
and relapses to its native corruption — inevitable

consequence

In those days, if some unfortunate courtier
accidentally trod upon the king's mat, death was
+he sure penalty.

In those days, none dared raise a protest when
the king, to maintain his royal dignity, commanded
the slaughter of all who happened to be standing on
his right hand or on his left ; or of all whom a band,
sent for the purpose, should meet in the streets.
' Why kill the innocent ? ' we innocently ask.
Their innocence is their doom, * If I only kill the
guilty,' so would the king have replied, ' the innocent

THE FUTURE OF UGANDA, 299

will not respect me.' They have no word in their
language for respect, except fear.

In those days, no protest was heard when women
and children were sold into the hopeless misery of
Arab slavery. Now, even domestic slavery has been
abolished, at least, its legal status. And in this
matter the Protestant chiefs were the movers and
imitators, so much so that Sir Gerald Portal, who
was in the country at the time, considered that
perhaps their movement was premature. To-day it
is the law of the land that any slave may claim his
or her freedom, and that it must be granted as a
matter of course.

Not that the Waganda had no religion of their
own. They were very religious ; they worshipped
and propitiated the spirits of ancestors. These spirits
were believed to possess mediums, who uttered
oracular sayings with foaming at the mouth, a close
reproduction of the Delphic prophecies. There was
the priest, too, who acted as go-between for the
inquirer and the spirit-possessed medium. Many of
the gardens of the country were set aside for these
priests ; hence their bitter opposition to the Gospel,
continued to this day.

Once a man professed to be possessed by the
spirit of the King Suna's dead dog, and went about
yelping. By the king's orders, a fine house was built
for him, and he lived in ease and luxury all his life !

Then charms were worn, and are still worn,
and implicitly believed in. Horns (either actual
horns or imitations in pottery) were filled with
various substances, supposed to have magical powers

300 PILKINGTON OF UGANDA.

— for instance, blood or earth — ^and sold as certain
remedies for various diseases.

In old days, woman was but a beast of burden ;
how wonderful to see her now in many places begin
to take her rightful place by man's side ! It will be
a gradual work — the elevation of woman ; but we do
see it already proceeding. The arrival of the five
ladies who accompanied Bishop Tucker last autumn
will, no doubt, greatly accelerate it. Cultivation is
woman's work in Uganda, and too often the heaviest
work is still left to her. The men are lazy ; the
Gospel not only shows them the duty and nobility
of work, but also provides them with motives for
working.

But it is in individual lives that the greatest and
most marked change is apparent. A slave of drink,
a big chief, was converted. He had been baptized
long before, but had no strength to conquer this
vice ; he had often prayed with one of the mission-
aries that he might be saved from this curse ; he had
even prayed with tears ; the will was there, but not
the power. He was converted, and was enabled to
win the victory.

A Mohammedan began reading our books ; he
was convinced of their truth, and gave up Moham-
medanism ; a month later, so he told us, he
accepted God's gift of eternal life. ' In old days,'
he said one day, ' I was like a bird trying to fly
without wings ; I thought my fastings, my prayers,
and ceremonies would save me. I now know that
Christ is the way.'

Another, a teacher, told how, long ago, when he

THE FUTURE OF UGANDA. 301

first became a nominal Christian, he had hoped to
be saved by his works ; as he read God's Word he
found this would not do, and then he hoped he
would be saved by a combination of faith and works.
' But now I know that Christ is all.' Many have
given up the vicious habit of smoking Indian hemp ;
the Christian Church will not permit any hemp
smoker to be baptized, so utterly inconsistent is it
considered.

Could you come and see some Sunday morning
while men and women, brought up as heathen,
gather round the Lord's table, and reverently eat
and drink those * pledges of His love,' there would
be a joyful echo in your ears of the Apostle's
words — ' These have been washed, these have been
sanctified, these have been justified in the name of
the Lord Jesus Christ, and by the Spirit of our
GodI'"

CHAPTER XVII.

BY BICYCLE TO UGANDA.

Owing to the length of time occupied in carrying
his work through the Press, Pilkington did not
leave England until two months after the party
with whom he expected to travel to Uganda. He,
however, managed to reach Frere Town in time to
accompany them, as the following letter indicates : —

Frere Town,

Friday, 27th November, 1896.

I arrived, after a delightful voyage, on Wednes-
day, to find the party still here, hoping to start
to-day. We are now hoping to start to-morrow.
Goods, including bike, here, all right. Europeans
and Waganda boys all well, so there is much to
thank God for. ...

We are really to start, it seems, to-morrow
morning — it is now nine p.m., so I suppose we
shall.

I rode up and down the road here on my bike.
A sort of light case, easily detachable, has been
made for it ; I propose to ride it where possible.

There has been much rain lately, and so the dry
part of road near the coast ought to be much better
than usual."

803

BY BICYCLE TO UGANDA. 303

The early stages of the journey are described in a
letter to Mr. G. A. King, dated : —

" Kibwezi

(190 miles from Mombasa),

Monday, 14th December, 1896.

I came on here last Friday on my bike from
Ndi (called seventy-eight miles, but eighty-one and
seven-eights by my cyclometer). The caravan,
which I propose to meet to-morrow about half-way
and come back with it, will probably be here on
Friday, perhaps Thursday. I started at 5.5 a.m.,
and got here, not much fagged, at 3.55 p.m. — the
first time, I suppose, anyone, even a native, has
come from Ndi to Kibwezi in one day.

I came on to try to settle a serious difficulty
about some of our porters who are claimed by a
trader. I have every confidence that it will be all
right now ; no thanks to me and my bike, for I
found it settled already, I may say, when I got here,
and no wonder, for we have made it a matter of
special prayer for a fortnight past. This is the
second remarkable, and from the merely human
side, most unlooked-for removal of difficulties in
answer to prayer, since I reached Mombasa in the
nick of time on the 25th to start on the 28th !

We have had a delightful journey — especially
we bicyclists ; when travelling with the caravan, we
reach our camping-place, though we start last, two
hours before the rest, generally before eight a.m.,
and so entirely avoid the sun. We expect to leave
this day week; we should be at Nzawi, where

304 PILKINGTON OF UGANDA.

are some American Missionaries, for Christmas."
Having once tasted the joys, not unmingled with
sorrows, of bicycHng in Central Africa, he determined
to go on ahead, and our next letter, reproduced as it
was written on the journey, gives us his itinerary to
the borders of Busoga ; it is instructive for intending
bicyclists in Central Africa.

" Kikuyu,

Christmas Eve, 1896.

Here I am at Kikuyu, about a hundred miles, I sup-
pose, ahead of our caravan. I came on to fetch Mr.
Snowden, of the Railway, who was here till to-day,
because his wife, who is travelling with our caravan,
is, or was, seriously ill. I left her with the rest at
Kibwezi. I shall carry this letter in my pocket (for
having come thus far, I shall, if practicable, go on to
Uganda), and give it to the down mail men when I
meet them, and so you will have the latest news of
my movements. I have come on very successfully,
a few punctures, etc., and delays, and bad bits of
road, but neither I nor the bike are any the worse ;
and now I am in this splendid healthy country.

Sunday, 3rd January, 1897. — Nandi Station. I
arrived here the day before yesterday, Friday ;
and so am now within sixty miles of Mumia's in
Kavirondo, which is go miles from our station at
Luba's, which is 60 miles from Mengo. The
whole journey from this on is inhabited, and
so, thank God, the worst part of my journey is
over. I propose going on to-morrow to Mumia's,
if possible ; if not, half way.

BY BICYCLE TO UGANDA. 305

From Kibwezi (from which I started a fortnight

ago) to this place is about 330 miles, most of it

desert and full of wild beasts ; from here to Mango

is 200 miles of friendly country.
Let me give you my itinerary : —

Sunday, 20th December. — Kibwezi to Nzawi, 575-
miles, only half the road rideable ; arrived 5.30
p.m.

Monday, 21st. — Kilungu, 10 miles, fearful road.

Tuesday, 22nd. — Machakos, 37 miles, fearful road.

Wednesday, 23rd. — To Kikuyu, 47 miles, good
road ; 2I hours delay owing to tyre ; arrived 6
p.m.

Thursday, 24th. — Rested.

Friday, 25th, — To Naivasha, 47 miles; tyre broke
down three times ; should have been there 2
p.m., got there 5.30 p.m., having had to ride
on deflated tyre, or should have been benighted ;
tyre spoiled. I had to go on through Christ-
mas Day, because I knew I should have to go
on with mail men, who had left Kikuyu on
Christmas Eve. They reached Naivasha on
Saturday, and so I had to start on Sunday.

Saturday, 26th. — Rested ; failed to mend tyre.

Sunday, 27th. — Went on with mail men, shoving
bike, to Kambi ya Mbaruk, 29 miles : hard
work.

Monday, 28th. — To Kambi ya moto, 30 miles
through grass 5ft. high ; fearful day.

Tuesday, 29th, — To Ravine, 25 miles ; bad road.
Here Mr. Jackson with infinite kindness put on
rope and raw hide on hind wheel as substitute
X

306 PILKINGTON OF UGANDA.

for tyre, and gave me provisions for the road.
At all the other stations, Nzawi and Kilungu,
the American Missionaries ; at Machakos, Ains-
worth and Dr Hinde ; at Kikuyu, Hall and
others ; at Naivasha, Major Smith ; here Dr.
Macpherson, have been kinder even than I
could have expected.

"Wednesday, 30th. — To Mianzini, 18 miles; bad
road ; had to shove bike nearly all the way.

Thursday, 31st. — To Chini ya kilima, 24 miles ;
shoved bike nearly all the way, but in riding one
very rough down hill piece cracked my seat
pillar — not a very serious damage; when it
breaks through, the longer bit of it will do very
well. After getting into camp, had a nasty bit
of fever, which lasted till I got here.

Friday, ist January, 1897. — Came on here with
some difficulty, 16 miles, pushing my bike
because of the cracked seat, which I propose to
repair here with wire pro. tern.

Saturday, 2nd. — Rested and bound my seat pillar
with Dr. Macpherson's kind help. Recovered
from fever. So glad of a rest again.

Sunday, 3rd. — Rested and wrote this letter, which
I propose to give to the down mail men. I met
the other down mail the day I left Kikuyu, just

after the final explosion (E knows the

sound) which convinced me that my hind tyre
would carry me no further. It was 1.20 p.m.,
and I was about 20 miles from Naivasha, and
so I had no wish to alarm you by writing a
letter under such circumstances ; besides, it

BY BICYCLE TO UGANDA 307

would have taken too much precious time. It
has been most wonderful how accidents,
punctures, etc., have occurred so as to let me
reach each station by sundown ; and how, in
spite of it all, it has been possible to come
steadily on : e.g., had the tyre given way ten
miles before, on Christmas day, I don't know
what would have happened. Had I waited at
Kikuyu for Christmas I could not have gone on
from Naivasha. Had I had fever on any other
of the six days from Naivasha here, I should
have failed to get here with the mail men, and
could not have come on alone. The mail men
left this yesterday ; I can now go on alone, and
it doesn't matter whether I catch them up or
not. The bicycle goes fairly well on the rope
tyre ; it is down hill from here to Mumia's,
2,000 feet lower, I may get there to-morrow.

Now I will finish up this letter, so that if I meet
the mail men suddenly, I need only add the place
where I shall be, and anything else of importance in
a pencil postscript. . , •

I had one accident with tyres at least every day
from Kibwezi until the final breakdown ; it's the hot
sun.

Tuesday, 5th January. — Safe at Mumia's. All
well ; a few more troubles with bike, but all
right again. I hope to reach outskirts of Usoga
to-morrow, Luba's probably two days later ;
then two days to Mengo.

Your Homocea (the box you gave me when I had

308 PILKINGTON OF UGANDA.

that bad fall) has been invaluable to me ; my left
leg has been a little sore, but is healing rapidly.

I came yesterday from Ncndi to a place where
Corporal Clark of the road party is camped, bridg-
ing a river — 40 miles or so ; thence here only 20
miles.

I leave this letter here, as the mail men leave
Luba's to-day, and I might miss them. You ought
to get this letter in two months' time."

His next letter is from Uganda : —

" Namirembe, Mengo,

28th Jan. 1897.

All's well that ends well — and here I am, having
been here for 17 days, all well. I had a little attack
of fever a few days ago, but I'm all right again now.
I got here on the nth January, having been 23 days
from Kibwezi where I left the caravan. I shall
probably find that I gained more than a month on
the caravan. From England two months later — in
Uganda one month earlier !

From Ndi here (650 miles) in 19 journeys — a
record for Africa ; of course I waited at Kibwezi and
went back from there and rested elsewhere ; and so
I did not travel from Ndi here in 19 days ; but it
took me only 19 days of actual travelling.

I am busy getting my house into order, though,
of course, until the caravan arrives (I expect it in
another 12 or 15 days) I can't do much; and yet
with borrowed and native things I am beginning to
be comfortable. I am having a daily class in
Luganda for the ladies especially, but the others

BY BICYCLE TO UGANDA. 309

come too. A language examination is to be held as
soon as possible.

I propose to devote the greater part of my time
for a year or two to the language. I hope to start
almost at once on the exercise book I used to speak
about when at home ; then on an enlarged and im-
proved grammar, and then on a dictionary; or
rather the last two simultaneously. I am looking
forward to letters from home ; they ought to be
here in ten days or so.

I took 74 days from London to Mengo — a record,
I think ; and of that I practically spent 9 days at
Kibwezi — I say ' practically,' because I actually
rested only three, and then went half way back and
returned. I hope when next I write to be able to
say that my bike is once more in running order. I
am waiting for my extra tyres, and Rowling, who is
very good at mechanics, to help me. In the mean-
time I have taken it all to pieces except the centre
crank. I have taken out and cleaned no fewer than
138 steel balls ; this is the number the machine con-
tains exclusive of said bracket which has, I suppose
20 more. A couple of the spokes of the hind wheel
have given, and one crank is twisted, nothing much
wrong besides except the tyres.

I've not had time to look round yet, so I say
nothing about the state of the country, but externally
all is well."

The impression produced upon the missionaries in
Mengo, by Pilkington's sudden appearance among
them, is thus described by Miss Chadwick.

" About half an hour before tea time I was in my

310 PILKINGTON OP UGANDA.

room .... when I heard a strange voice
saluting the children down in the pathway below,
and thought ' No one from Kampala talks Luganda
like that, yet it's not any of our men that I know.'
A minute later Tabitha and some of the youngsters
came up simply yelling — Pilkingtoni ! Pilkingtoni ! !
and we at first declined flatly to believe them.
How Mr. Pilkington, who, when we last heard,
had not even arrived at the coast, should have
passed and left the others behind, and arrived a
month sooner than we expected even to see them,
seemed incomprehensible; however, by the aid of
his bicycle, he had done so, and arrived absolutely
without an attendant, with nothing but a tiny
knapsack. . . .

A rather unshaven man in borrowed clothes
decidedly too small for him — he beats even Mr. Pike
in stature — and about as sunburnt as a man can be.
Furthermore, having overtaken the mail men, some
little way back, he had stirred them up to such effect
that we got, on Monday, the letters not supposed to
be due till Friday."

Of the value of his language lessons, already
referred to, Miss Chadwick writes : —

" I have already written to mother about Mr.
Pilkington's unexpected appearance a month before
we were expecting any of them .... I had
always heard his praises sung so very loudly . . .
but after a week's acquaintance and two grammar
lessons, I am quite ready to join in the chorus of
admiration of a truly great and good man. As for
his Luganda, it is just beautiful. He is giving us a

BY BICYCLE TO UGANDA 311

lesson every evening at 6.30, but I fear it will last all
too short a time."

On February 26th, 1897, Pilkington writes : " The
rest of the party got here on Monday, the 15th, five
weeks after me, having come across the lake by
steamer, except Baskerville, Cook and Weatherhead.
The latter stayed in Usoga, and the other two got
here on the 19th, a week ago.

I have chiefly been engaged in getting my house
in order, making tables and shelves, &c., and getting
boys, and teaching them something, especially to
cook. My old boys have got married most of them,
or are going to be. Talking of cooking, an exciting
incident has just happened. A bottle of barm I was
making has burst and flown all over the room in
small pieces, but no harm done. Yesterday, the
corks flew out, and Hall (who is staying with me,
having arrived yesterday from the islands) and I
were douched with barm; but I didn't expect the
bottle itself to burst. . . . The new men are
scattering day by day to their various destinations.
I am glad to say that they have been specially
requested to devote their first eight months, at least,
to the language.

I have been examining some of those who have
been one or two years here. Miss Chadwick has
done the best of all at present, and Miss Brown
very good. Ireland for ever 1 "

By March 26th, Mr. Rowling's assistance had been
procured for the unfortunate bicycle, and a letter of
that date describes the method of repair : " My time
for the last few days has largely been taken up with

312 PILKINGTON OF UGANDA.

mending my bike, or, rather, in giving Rowling some
feeble assistance in so doing. He has made a
wonderful job of it : soldered and riveted a brass
plate into the broken rim, mended two or three
spokes, adding a piece on to one with a wire nail, put
a copper plate on to the cogged wheel where it was
cracked, straightened (and is going to harden by
heating and plunging in oil) my crank, and, most
remarkable of all, soldered on to the main hub a tiny
piece of steel, so that the loose crank now fits
perfectly. He has also strengthened the seat pillar
by putting into it a piece of hard wood, tight fitting.
We stripped my old outside tyre of the rubber, and
put it on with the new one (which, to our horror,
yesterday, we found a size too large) over it ; and I
have this morning been riding about Mengo as
comfortably as ever on it."

Apparently the tyres did not last very long, and on
April loth we read : " I am mending my tyres with
the sap of a native rubber tree, called ' mulemu,' and
I'm inclined to think it is going to prove successful.
It takes a long time drying, but we are not in such a
terrible hurry in Africa as you are at home.

I'm hoping to go over to Ngogwe (Baskerville's
Station) on it for a mission in a fortnight or three
weeks' time. It is thirty-five miles — a nice day's
ride in this country.

When the rains are over, probably in May or June,
I hope to go out a good deal through the country, to
try to improve the organisation of the teachers and
the native church generally."

By April 23rd, he was convinced that " pneumatic

BY BICYCLE TO UGANDA. 313

tyres wont do here," and adds, " I am trying to
convert mine into solid ones by stuffing the outside
cover with cotton wool."

The solid tyres do not seem to have been a great
success, but much later on in the year he writes :
*' My bike is on the go again. Fresh tyres (pneumatic)
have come by post, thanks to the kindness of my
friend Mr. G. A. King."

With regard to the progress of the work, he writes
on igth May, 1897, to Mr. Dowse the Vicar of the
parish who had adopted him as their own mis-
sionary:—

" The increase in the number of adherents is not
going on as it was two or three years ago. Why is
that ? I can't answer, of course, dogmatically, but
I fancy there are two reasons. The greater part of
the country has now been evangelised, or those who
were willing to become readers have been taught a
certain amount ; those who were opposed are only
coming over in small numbers. Then, again, a
considerable number who began reading two or three
years ago, but were really never converted, have
learnt to read, and have read a Gospel or two, and
then have got tired and given up reading, and their
example is deterring others, for they are supposed
to know all about Christianity, and themselves so
suppose, and yet they don't think it worth while to
persevere.

These remarks apply chiefly to Uganda itself,
and not to the surrounding countries.

We are in great difficulties about the self-
support of the Native Church. I fear a good many

314 PILKINGTON OF UGANDA.

teachers have been sent out too hastily, and we
shall be forced to recall them. But I trust we
shall always abide by the principle of entire self-
support; Waganda teachers supported by Uganda
money, and by that alone, whatever happens. I
notice a considerable growth of independence in
the leading teachers and Christians. A great deal
of work is now being done by natives, which two
years ago was being done, and only could be done,
by Europeans. There is a large district between
the Capital and the Lake, which is now in the
charge of Yairo, who is in priest's orders; very
encouraging reports of activity and really indepen-
dent life have lately come in. We are just going
to commit another district to native charge, the
district of South Bulemezi, which Buckley Js leaving
for Toro, to take the place of our dear brother Callis,
who has just been taken from us. We hope that
this will prove as great a success as Yairo's district
seems to be. My own work at present is chiefly
that of looking after the supply of teachers in the
various country places."

On May 20th, 1897, Pilkington wrote to the
Church Missionary Society announcing his engage-
ment to Miss Bertha Taylor, who was a member of
the second party of lady missionaries to Uganda.

For some time after his return to Uganda, he
seems to have been chiefly occupied in making plans
for the further consolidating of the Native Church,
and particularly with the subject of self-support.
In the course of a letter written from Mengo on
June 3rd, 1897, be writes concerning th« principle

BY BICYCLE TO UGANDA. 315

of "Teachers supported wholly and only by the
Church of which they are members." " The C.M.S.
has come to the conclusion that if this Church were
to depart at all from this principle, it would strike
a blow to the Missionary cause all the world over.

To support any native with foreign money is to
wrong the native Church, depriving it of a privilege;
and a stimulus to which it has a right.

It is unfair to the teachers, depriving them of a
powerful testimony to the Gospel ; when supported
by native funds, they can appeal to these as evidence
that natives like those with whom they plead, have
found the Gospel so well worth having that they
have been willing to deny themselves in order that
others might hear it.

It lays the teachers open to the suspicion that
they are the bribed agents of foreigners who desire
to denationalise the country for their own ends ; it
alienates from our side the patriotic feeling, and
those men in whom this feeling is strong ; the very
men we need to build a really independent Church.

If it is objected that an infant church cannot
support its own sons who are teachers, it surely
seems reasonable to suppose that if the church has
had strength enough to produce a genuine teacher
sent by God, the less precious product of a few
shells for his support will be forthcoming.

On these grounds would it not be better to re-
frain from sending out teachers than to send them
out supported by European money, whether loan or
gift ? "

At the end of this letter he says " I propose

316 PILKINGTON OF UGANDA.

to go to Budu and Koki, starting some day next
week."

On June 29th he arrived in Koki, in company
with Mr. Clayton, having passed through Budu, on
the way. He found Mr. Leakey in Koki, and whilst
there, sent messengers to the neighbouring district
of Nkole to find out if there were opportunities for
work there, but without any satisfactory result. A
few days later, Mwanga revolted and fled from
Mengo, having done his best to rally round him
people from the various countries round Uganda.
Some idea of the state of affairs may be gathered
from a letter written by Miss Chadwick on July
24th, 1897.

** It has really been an anxious week for every-
body, and, of course, all kinds of rumours came up
to us of people deserting to Mwanga. However,
the native chiefs as a body, seem to have been
splendidly loyal to the English, and their people, as
a whole, to them.

This is, I think, the most hopeful thing we have
seen in this people yet, as, after all, we have to
remember we are foreigners, and personal loyalty to
Kampala would hardly have carried this vast body
of men to fight as they have done, if it were not
that English rule is more or less understood as
synonymous with law and order and religion, and
we now see, in spite of all our doubts and suspicions,
the reality . of the friendliness of the Baganda.
Practically, all the big chiefs have decisively declared
in favour of law and order, and against a return of
despotism and heathenism, which Mwanga's victory

BY BICYCLE TO UGANDA. 317

would certainly have meant for the time being.
He meant to turn every Englishman out of the
country, I believe. That is pretty widely felt, and
it is really everywhere spoken of as a war between
religion and heathenism. ... I have not yet
told you what the news really is, for which we feel
so much thankfulness. Our last letters went out
just when our men had gone off to Budu to look for
a runaway king. Then came two or three days of
quiet, and then, very disturbing reports that the
kingdom of Koki, next door to Budu, was inclined
to befriend Mwanga ; that the King there,
Kamswaga, had lent him 300 guns (an utter fabrica-
tion), and that the lives of Messrs. Pilkington,
Leakey, and Clayton were in great danger. In fact,
Mr. Pilkington sent up a letter to the effect that
they had no hope of getting up to Buganda again,
but might possibly escape to German territory, and
made his will, but this was before they knew how
close our party were on the heel of the king, and as
a matter of fact, Kamswaga, so far from helping
Mwanga, lent Mr. Pilkington and his party 50 guns
to protect themselves."

Pilkington's short summary of the rebellion is
given in a letter dated August nth, 1897 :

** When I was in Koki, Mwanga ran to Budu (50
miles from us), and raised a rebellion against
Europeans, Christianity, civilization, and progress.
He and his friends are for a return to heathenism,
slavery, polygamy, and all the horrors of the past.
Ninety per cent, of the people are probably with
him in their sympathies, but, in the body, they

318 PILKINGTON OF UGANDA.

prefer the side which musters most guns and holds
the gardens. We were in some danger for a time in
Koki, but on the arrival of a large native army and
Major Ternan with 200 Soudanese in Budu, and
after two victories, each of them fought and won 20
or 30 miles from where we were, things became all
right, and I came back. Mwanga has been to the
Germans, who have taken him prisoner. The
French priests in Koki retired to German territory,
when it all began. Our staying was useful, we
believe, in helping Kamswaga, King of Koki, to
stand firm, and indeed Major Ternan, so he told us,
wrote to Lord Salisbury to say that our action in
staying there had helped the Administration. God
will bring good out of it all, as always hitherto."
" August 17th. On Saturday, Daudi Chua, a
one-year-old baby, son of Mwanga, was proclaimed
King. The two Katikiros (Protestant and Roman
Catholic) with Zachariah Kangao, one of the native
deacons, form a Council, who will rule the country
till His Majesty is old enough. Politically, the
Protestants are immensely stronger than they were,
which is good for the peace and stability of the
country, but a fresh danger to the Church. Still,
we can't but be most thankful. The Commissioner
asked me to translate into Luganda, and read out
for him, the proclamation and a speech to the
chiefs."

o

CHAPTER XVIII.

THE SECOND MUTINY.

With the coronation of the new king and the
formation of a Council of trustworthy chiefs to
admininister the government, it was hoped that
peace and quietness had been secured once more,
and on the 13th of September, Pilkington writes : —

" Mwanga has been taken to the South of the
Lake, and the country is setthng down again.

I am working at the Luima language, the
shepherd tribe ; and also at ' Elementary Luganda
Lessons.' I have just perceived how very important
a part of a language intonation is (thanks to Sweet),
and I am working at that specially now; many
words are distinguished only by intonation.

I am having two classes per week with the
teachers, to help them with (i) preaching, (ii) read-
ing, and (iii) teaching, I am trying to show them
at present how to preach from notes. I go round
to different Churches on Sundays, and take special
note of the preaching and reading.

Miss Chadwick is doing something at Arabic ; I
have lent her my Grammar. I am teaching one of
my boys to use the typewriter ; he can copy fairly
correctly now ; I hope soon to make great use of
him.

nt

320 PILKINGTON OF UGANDA.

We have started football lately ! I play most
afternoons. It is great fun and good for the boys.

The rebellion is still greatly hindering the work ;
I hope we shall be able to resume fully soon."

With regard to the football, Dr. Cook writes :-

"September 2nd.

" Archdeacon Walker has got a football out from
England, and Pilkington has been diligently coach-
ing the boys. It is very comic to see him, as he
enters with great earnestness into it. . . . I, with
my boys and about ten others, stood Pilkington and
another lot. We got two goals each. We play oa
a large grass field between Kampala and Rubaga."

Meanwhile a danger was at hand greater than
had ever yet threatened British rule in Uganda.
In order to understand the situation rightly, it may
be well to remind ourselves of the method by which
the Protectorate of Uganda was being administered.

At the end of 1891 it will be remembered that
Captain Lugard brought into Uganda a number of
Sudanese who had at one time been in the service
of Emin Pasha. Since then — in spite of the treachery
of Selim Bey, which, but for Captain (now Major)
Macdonald's prompt action, might have had the
most serious consequences — the Sudanese had con-
tinued to be employed as the chief soldiers in the
employ of the government, and not only was the
garrison at Kampala largely composed of them,
but they were scattered over the country to form
garrisons for various forts under the command of
British officers. That their influence upon the people

THE SECOND MUTINY. 321

of the country had been an evil one, can hardly be
doubted, but, at the same time, they were well-
trained fighting men, and served a useful purpose.

During 1897, they had their hands full, going from
one place to another, in order to put down the
revolution, and in August, Major Ternan left for
the coast with a company of Sudanese who had
been engaged in the recent fighting, in order that
they might join Major Macdonald, who had been
commissioned by the British Foreign Office to con-
duct an exploratory expedition to the north of Lake
Rudolph. Major Ternan accordingly met Major
Macdonald, as arranged, and the latter was just
starting northwards, when, owing to certain reasons,
disaffection spread amongst the Sudanese who had
come from Uganda, who accordingly deserted him.
Into the causes of their disaffection, and the blame
which might be attached to one or another in this
unfortunate affair, it would be out of place to enter
here, suffice it to say that after unsuccessful
attempts on the part of Mr. Jackson to come to
terms with them, they made their way towards
Uganda. They were joined by other Sudanese
from the forts of Nandi and Mumia's, and eventually
reached Luba's in Busoga.

With this brief statement we may now turn to
the graphic account of the outbreak of the mutiny
given by Dr. A. R. Cook.

" In Camp at Luba's,

October 23rd, 1897.

Terrible things have happened in Uganda.

About three weeks ago, 300 Sudanese soldiers from

Y

322 PILKINGTON OF UGANDA.

the Kampala garrison at Mengo were sent to the
Ravine (Eldoma station). Here they mutinied, and
looted a large store of the Government Agent's. All
the Government stations in Uganda are manned by
Sudanese — perhaps i,8oo in all. After revolting, they
determined to march back to Mengo, raise the
standard of revolt, kill the Europeans, and start a
Sudanese kingdom here. They arrived at the station
of Nandi and looted it, obtaining, among other
things, 3,000 rounds of ball cartridge. Fortified by
this and provided with plenty of ammunition (nearly
40,000 rounds of ball cartridge), they marched on to
Mumia's. Here Tomkins, though he had only heard
native reports, had fully grasped the situation and
promptly disarmed all his garrison, armed the few
Swahilis he could get, and prepared to fight to the
death. He cut down all the bushes round, &c., and,
when the mutineers appeared, they were so cowed
they failed to attack. Passing on through Busoga,
they killed the natives and looted the cattle, finally
appearing before the fort at Luba's.

Meanwhile, rumours were brought to us at Mengo
of what was going on, and Major Thruston started
off at once to meet the mutineers. Though repeatedly
warned, he declared he was perfectly confident as to
the loyalty of his men, and, being a splendid Arabic
scholar, was confident that he could persuade his
troops to remain loyal. He crossed over to Luba's
and admitted thirty of the mutineers to a conference.
They immediately revolted, with the whole garrison
at Luba's, and seized Major Thruston and the
commander of the fort, Wilson, and tied them up.

THE SECOND MUTINY. 323

They then occupied the fort. Of course, the great
danger was a general rising of the Sudanese through-
out Uganda and the massacre of the Europeans.

We heard the news at Mengo on Monday night
(October i8th). The officers were seized on the
Saturday, and we also heard that our two Busoga
missionaries, Weatherhead and Wilson, were both
in chains in the fort. This turned out to be false.
Special messages were instantly sent out to all
the ladies and other missionaries to come into the
capital. That night we hardly got any sleep, as it
was feared the Sudanese garrison would rise. It
was decided, on the advice of the native chiefs, not
to send the ladies away to an island, as they said
they would be probably speared en route by the
Bakopi. Early in the morning, we made our way to
Kampala, and rifles and ammunition were served out
to us, the Hotchkiss gun and Maxim were got ready,
and then the Sudanese were summoned to lay down
their arms, which, to our great relief, they did.
Meanwhile, the Baganda were being summoned in
from every side, and hurried off to the Nile to
prevent the Sudanese from crossing. It was a great
answer to prayer that the Sudanese were disarmed
so quietly. None of us quite knew if we should go
back that morning.

On Tuesday, October 19th, matters were so
threatening that Mr. Wilson (the Acting-Commis-
sioner of Uganda) asked for volunteers from the
missionaries, as he wanted to give moral support to
the Baganda, and they placed great confidence in
the missionaries. We at once held a conference of

324 PILKINGTON OP UGANDA.

all the male missionaries in Mengo, and it was
decided that Pilkington and myself should go —
Pilkington to act as interpreter, myself for medical
duty. This was the unanimous opinion of Archdeacon
Walker and all the missionaries. Meanwhile, the
Mohammedan Baganda had joined the rebels, and
things looked worse and worse. Fortunately, the
ex-Mohammedan king, who is a political prisoner at
Mengo, remained loyal to the Government, and
actually sent in the letters he had received from the
rebels telling him to make himself king and kill
us all.

The attacking expedition consisted of fifteen
Europeans and 2,500 Baganda, but, at the last
moment, all the Europeans — save Pilkington,
myself. Captain Malony, and Mr. Malick — were
recalled, and also 1,000 of the Baganda, to make
the capital quite secure.

We started — i.e. Pilkington and myself — at 3 p.m.
on Wednesday afternoon, and pitched our camp
with the Katikiro, only four miles from Mengo.
After three and a half hours' sleep, we struck camp
at 4 a.m., and marched thirty-one miles to Ngogwe.
We were not too tired, though my arms were badly
burnt by the sun ; for, as the sky was covered with
clouds, I marched with my coat off and my shirt-
sleeves rolled up to the elbow. At Ngogwe we
found Baskerville, who decided to stick to his post
until we returned, as in all probability the station
would be looted if he left. He is now in no danger,
as our army is between him and the Nubians.

Meanwhile, we heard the distressing news that

THE SECOND MUTINY. 325

the Government steamer, which had been sent with
forty Sudanese soldiers and a Maxim to fight the
rebels, had fallen into their hands. These Sudanese
revolted and joined their companions, seizing the
unfortunate engineer. We had also the good news
that Major Macdonald and nine other Europeans
had hastily armed 300 Swahili porters, and, with
eighteen Sikhs, were keeping one day's march behind
the mutineers. Pilkington and I were well ahead of
the other Europeans and were able to open up com-
munication with Macdonald.

All the ladies and men, with the exception of the
two Koki missionaries and Buckley in Toro, were
now in the capital. Weatherhead had a marvellous
escape. He was «n his way up to the capital for a
visit to Ngogwe, when, hearing there was trouble in
Busoga, and not understanding that the Sudanese
had risen, he at once started back to look after his
station. He arrived at Luba's at 4 a.m., Saturday
morning, just as the rebels were tying up the officers,
and, passing quietl}^ through them, went over the
hill to his station and lay down to rest. In a short
time, however, Nuwa, the faithful Buganda teacher,
rushed in and told him of his imminent peril.
Groups of Sudanese were then passing the house,
and he hurried him away through the bananas and
jungle, and crossed the Nile at Jinja (the Ripon
Falls), and so on to Ngogwe, carrying him on his
back part of the way, and then put him in a
canoe and sent him to Mengo, where he is now
safe and sound. Ot our other missionary in
Busoga, Wilson, we have no definite news, but

326 PILKINGTON OP UGANDA.

believe he is quite safe, as he is twenty-five miles
north.

To return to Pilkington and myself. After a very
disturbed night at Ngogvve, we pressed sternly on,
and at 9 a.m. sighted the Nile in the far distance.
We arrived opposite Luba's, and saw the rebel fort
five miles across the Nile at 1.45 p.m., having
reached the Nile ffifty-nine miles) in forty-six and
a half hours after leaving Mengo. Meanwhile,
Major Macdonald had fought a great battle on the
19th, and, though driving off the rebels, was very
short of ammunition. One European, Fielding, was
killed and two wounded, including the doctor. We
had sent back urgent messages for ammunition, and
at 10 p.m. it arrived. There were only two small
canoes, however, so we sent it on and crossed over
with the Katikiro and a fleet of twelve canoes in the
morning, and, making a long detour to avoid the
rebel fort, arrived at Macdonald's camp at noon,
where we had a most warm welcome. Meanwhile,
(on the 20th) the rebels had brutally murdered the
three prisoners — Major Thruston, Wilson (the
Government captain), and Scott (the engineer). Mr.
Jackson, who was on his way to be Acting-Commis-
sioner until Mr. Berkeley returns, is severely
wounded in the shoulder, and thanked us most
warmly for coming. Dr. Macpherson was wounded
himself, and, though suffering, had all the wounded
to look after ; he was most grateful for my assistance.

The fight on Tuesday was most severe ; Major
Macdonald's party managed to arrive at the summit
of this hill without the Nubians seeing them. He

THE SECOND MUTINY. 327

had with him two Maxims, about 250 SwahiH porters
armed with Sniders and Martinis, eighteen Sikhs,
and nine other Europeans. Next morning, 300 of
the Sudanese, who, of course, are well armed and
disciphned, came up laughing and chatting, and
saying they did not want to fight. Major Macdonald
was not a man to be caught napping, and quietly
got everything ready. Suddenly, the Sudanese
crammed cartridges in their rifles and fired on the
Europeans, and for over five hours a fierce battle
raged, the men often firing at only thirty yards
distance. At length the ammunition of the Major's
party began to fail, and, giving the word to charge,
they made a desperate effort and drove the Sudanese
back, who then retired to their fort where they have
remained since. They lost sixty-four killed and
thirty or forty wounded ; our side, one European and
sixteen Swahilis, and many severely wounded. The
Sikhs fought magnificently.

Some 2,500 Baganda have now crossed over, and
the rebels are cooped up. The Hotchkiss gun is
expected in to-morrow, and if they do not surrender
then, I suppose there will be some desperate fighting.
Of course, there are no non-combatants in Central
Africa, and Pilkington and I take our turn at night
duty, etc., each having our allotted station in case of
an attack. The view from here is superb, thirty
miles each way. Through the telescope we can see
the rebels walking about below ; two or three days
longer will settle it. There are still some corpses
lying unburied, but the vultures and hyaenas are
clearing them away.

328 PILKINGTON OF UGANDA.

My hands are very busy with the wounded. I
know how much you will remember us in prayer — it
is a very serious time for Uganda. We cannot feel
certain as to the garrisons in Budu (300 Sudanese
and two officers), or in Toro and Bunyoro. The
answers to prayer have been wonderful. The camp
is pitched about the very spot where Bishop
Hannington was seized. If it comes to a fight,
Pilkington and myself will stick together. I feel
sure we are here in the line of God's will."

"October 24th, (Sunday).

Mail now going — the rebels are hemmed in and
cannot possibly escape. The men here are practising
for an attack as I am writing. We had an alarm
this morning, and all turned out ; but the enemy
merely sent out a strong picket. There are now
most of the big Baganda chiefs with us, and perhaps
3,000 or 4,000 spearmen and guns. Port Victoria
and Ntebe are practically abandoned. The capital
is strongly manned and quite safe. No one quite
knows what will happen, but it will be just right.
Of course. Mission work in the country is almost
stopped. The ladies behaved very pluckily when
the alarm came. All eight are at the capital, and
probably Namirembe Hill will be fortified.

Poor Thruston ! Only a few days ago he was
chatting with me, and showing me his sketches
from Bunyoro ; and Wilson, too, last time I was
here, he so kindly entertained us — and now .

God has been very good to us and the whole
Mission. For a time there was very real danger,

THE SECOND MUTINY. 329

but now I trust it is passing over. All of us
Europeans (except the sick ones) are messing
together. I must now close."

Dr. Cook has already referred to the reasons
which led him and Pilkington, after conference with
the other Missionaries and with their unanimous
approval, to help in quelling the mutiny ; but as it
is of the greatest importance to understand the
circumstances aright, it may be well to quote
Pilkington's own view of his position and also that
of Major Macdonald.

On November 23rd, Pilkington wrote a letter
to be sent home in case of his death, in which he
says : —

" We go down to-morrow morning to attack the
Sudanese, and, as it is possible that I may be
killed, I write this to be sent to you in that case.
I hope you won't think my being here and my
going down with Capt. Woodward unjustifiable for
a Missionary. It seems to me to be my clear duty,
and I go without any doubt or hesitation. I may
be able to save many lives by maintaining a clear
understanding between Woodward and the Waganda :
to put it another way, a misunderstanding might
cost many lives."

But nothing could make matters clearer than the
following letter from Major Macdonald, in answer
to a letter from Archdeacon Walker, asking how
soon it would be possible to dispense with the
services of the other Missionaries who remained
with Major Macdonald after Pilkington's death : —
" With reference to your wish to know whether

330 PILKINGTON OF UGANDA.

it would not be possible to withdraw from the army
in Usoga the two members of the C.M.S. who are
serving with the forces there, I have the honour to
inform you that I consider such a step would be
highly undesirable and fraught with public danger.
Messrs. Lloyd and Fletcher, together with the late
Mr. Pilkington, whose death I so deeply deplore,
have lent invaluable assistance in acting as inter-
preters between the Government officers and the
Waganda, in carrying orders and in preventing
misunderstandings which might so easily occur.
Their withdrawal in this crisis would undoubtedly
greatly detract from the value of our Uganda levies,
who, in the siege of the mutineers' fort, at Lubwa's,
have to fight in a way to which they are quite
unaccustomed. I have no hesitation in saying that,
but for the presence of the members of the Mission
with the army in Usoga, the Waganda would lose
far more heavily than they have done, as they would
not so fully understand the wishes and plans of
the officer commanding.

I need hardly mention that the present military
operations are quite different from an ordinary
campaign in Uganda, as our very existence, whether
Government officials, missionaries, or traders,
depends on our quelling this mutiny. It behoves
all British subjects, whatever their profession, to
stand together until the mutiny is suppressed, and,
far from agreeing to the withdrawal of Messrs.
Lloyd and Fletcher, I would ask you whether you
could not spare another member of 3'our Mission
to help these gentlemen in their arduous duties.

THE Sn:COND MUTINY. 331

I am aware that these duties are not those for
which they came to Uganda, but when the existence
of the Protectorate, and consequently of the
Missions, the lives and honour of English ladies,
and the saving of bloodshed are at stake, I have no
hesitation in calling on all British subjects to assist
in these military operations to the extent of their
power."

When these circumstances are realised, and when
it is understood that the Missionaries were not
fighting against the natives of the country, but
standing shoulder to shoulder with their own native
brethren to help to defend them and their country
from what was in effect a foreign invader, who
could suggest that they were not in the place of
duty?

But to return to the situation in Busoga. On
November 4th, Dr. Cook returned to Mengo in
charge of Mr. Jackson and others who were
wounded. Pilkington still remained on, and on
November 12th, 1897, after referring to the battle
described by Dr. Cook, which took place on
October 19th, he writes : —

" Next afternoon, the friendly Waganda began
arriving, and then the position began to change to
what it is now ; the Sudanese shut into their fort,
and getting into a bad way for want of food.

The Waganda have twice fought with them, and
inflicted considerable loss, losing themselves, alas»
some 25 killed and 80 wounded ; five of the killed,
teachers of ours. We are waiting now forammunition
before going down to the fort to invest it by making

332 PILKINGTON OF UGANDA.

a fort or forts if necessary round it. I am to go
with Major Macdonald as ' staff officer ! ' in order to
interpret between him and the Waganda.

We had a night attack the other day ; the
Sudanese came up in the middle of a great storm
and fired 20 or 30 shots ; we fired 137, including
some rounds from the Maxim. It was 12.30 a.m.,
and I got wet through. We have night watches,
after every second night, at first more frequently.

The Waganda fought most bravely the other
day, to the great surprise and admiration of the
men here ; but their praise is poor compensation
for the lives of our friends.

Dr. Cook returned a week ago to the Capital
with Mr. Jackson (shot through one lung, going on
well) and other wounded. About the same time
Fletcher, Lloyd and Wilson, all of C.M.S., came
here, so we are four missionaries here ; and two
Roman Catholics came a few days later.

Captain Kirkpatrick, one of Major Macdonald's
officers, is a cousin of Lefroy of Delhi, and met E —
at Delhi.

Captain Woodward, also, was at Harrow, and
so knows many whom I know.

Major Macdonald, you remember, was in
Uganda before, and saved the country from a
Mohammedan outbreak. He has saved it a second
time now. No man has been in Uganda for whom
I have a greater respect and admiration.

The great danger was that the rest of the
Sudanese in Uganda and Unyoro, over a thousand
in all, would join the mutineers, and that they

THE SECOND MUTINY. 333

would be joined by all the Mohammedan Waganda ;
or that the rebel heathen party, Mwanga's friends,
would seize the opportunity to make fresh trouble.
However, up to the present all is quiet.

The rest of Major Macdonald's expedition, 400
strong and four Europeans, have been sent for.
And 800 Indian soldiers from the Coast are ex-
pected in a couple of months. Then things ought
to be pretty secure. But, after all, our trust is,
and has been, in God, who has always so wonder-
fully overruled all sorts of evil in this country to
His glory invariably."

« Luba's,

26th November, 1897.

Dearest Mother, —

I must write a line to tell you of the fight
two days ago, lest you should be anxious. We went
down to the fort first thing in the morning, the
Wasoga and Waganda on our flanks. However,
the Waganda went too fast ahead, and were met by
the Sudanese whom they drove back into the fort,
but with frightful loss to themselves, 71 killed, 180
wounded, among them one of my friends, Obadiya,
who wrote you that letter, shot dead.

We took up a line about 250 or 300 yards from
the fort. I was with Woodward, who was in
command, about 50 yards further back, but. I
spent most of the day superintending the making, by
Waganda, of a fort which we intended to occupy at
night, about 450 yards from the fort. Firing was
very brisk at first, and two or three sorties were

334 PILKINGTON OF UGANDA.

made, and driven back, but the heavy firing; was too
much for the Waganda workmen, of whom one was
killed and one wounded ; but they would run away
in parties when the bullets came much over our
heads ; and so by evening the fort was not finished,
and we had to leave it. The Sudanese broke it up
next morning.

The position in Uganda is still serious, because
more Sudanese may mutiny, or there may be a fresh
anti-European rebellion among the Waganda ; but
these things haven't happened yet, thank God.
And the Sudanese here are much reduced in
numbers, and can have very little ammunition
left.

The rest of Major Macdonald's expedition (450
rifles) is expected soon, and Indian troops.

It's terrible to see these Waganda being killed
in a quarrel not theirs but ours

It was some comfort to share a little of the
danger the other day. I sometimes half wish that
some of us Europeans had been killed, or at any
rate wounded, if it weren't for friends at home.

All the Europeans except those on watch and
three Roman Catholics came to a prayer Meeting
the evening before.

We, and the Country, and God's work here, are
all in His hands, and it's all right.

Your loving son,

G. L. Pilkington."

This letter, written in pencil, is actually the last
letter received from him.

THE SECOND MUTINY. 335

On December nth, the following letter was
written by Major Macdonald to Archdeacon
Walker :—

"Luba's Hill,

nth December, 1897.

Dear Archdeacon, —

I am very sorry to say that Pilkington was
killed in to-day's fight. I know what a loss this
is to you all and to Uganda, and more especially
does my heart-felt sympathy go out to Miss Taylor,
as such brave, fine men as Pilkington are scarcely
found. I cannot quite express what I feel, as not
only have I lost in Pilkington an old friend, but my
brother was also killed in to-day's fight. We also
lost seven natives killed and fifteen wounded, and
the Waganda lost three killed and ten wounded,
but the Nubians were completely defeated, and lost
more than all our loss together.

The Nubians fought desperately to prevent our
cutting the last of their shambas on the right, but
it was no use; they were repulsed at every point
and driven from the position they took up, and the
Waganda, under Fletcher, completed the destruction
of the shambas.

So our victory, though dearly purchased, was
complete.

Yours very sincerely,

W. R. S. Macdonald."

This letter was accompanied by a detailed account
of that sad day from the pen of Mr. A. B. Lloyd :—

336 PILKINGTON OF UGANDA.

"The Fort, Liiba's Hill,

December iith, 1897.

But I must tell you some of the details. It was
arranged this morning that the banana gardens
from which the Nubians get their food should be
cut down by the Waganda. A covering party was
to go out to the front, clear the gardens of all
Nubians, and the cutting party directed by our dear
brother, to follow after. The advance began about
seven a.m. Pilkington took up his position with
Captain Harrison, who was leading the attack.
Presently Pilkington's boy (Aloni), who was by his
side, shouted out ' There they are, close to us.'
Both Pilkington and Captain Harrison saw men
coming towards them, but thought them Waganda,
and told Aloni so, but he being quite sure about it,
fired a shot into them as they advanced, and this
proved, without doubt, that they were Nubians, for
they then opened their fire upon our men. One man
took several deliberate aims at Pilkington, but
missed him. Then Pilkington fired a few shots at
him, but the shots went wide, and then it was that he
fired again at our brother, shooting him right through
the thigh and bursting the femoral artery. He
cried out, ' Harrison, I'm hit,' and sat down on the
ground. One of Harrison's Nubian officers then
shot at the man, who was still close by, who had
wounded Pilkington. He missed him, and the
fellow returned the fire, hitting the officer in the
left arm, breaking his arm, and shouted out to him,
* Bilal, what are you doing hePe ? Go back to
Egypt. Have you come here to fight against your

THE SECOND MUTINY. 337

brothers ? ' * Yes,' said Bilal, * you are rebels, and
we will wipe you all out.' And with his right hand
he drew his revolver and shot the man who had
killed Pilkington.

While this was going on Harrison had made
arrangements for some Waganda to carry Pilkington
back to the fort. Aloni knelt down by his side and
said, * Sebo bakukub3^e,' (' Sir, have they shot you ? ')
Pilkington replied, * Wewao omwana wange bank-
ubeye ' (* Yes, my child, they have shot me ') ; then
he seemed to get suddenly very weak, and Aloni said
to him, ' My master, you are dying, death has
come,' to which he replied, 'Yes, my child, it is as
you say." Then Aloni said, * Sebo, he that
believeth in Christ, although he die, yet shall he live.
To this Pilkington replied, ' Yes, my child it is as
you say, shall never die.' Then they carried him
some little distance to the rear of the battle
which was now raging most furiously. When
they had put him down again he turned to those
who carried him and said, ' Thank you, my
friends, you have done well to take me off the
battle-field ; and now give me rest,' and almost
immediately he became insensible and rested from
his pain.

They then brought him into the camp, but we
soon saw that the end was very near. We did all
we could to restore him, but he fell quietly asleep
about 8.30.

Just before they brought in Pilkington, Lieu-
tenant Macdonald was brought in quite dead,
shot right through the spine by Nubians concealed
Z

338 PILKINGTON OP UGANDA.

in the long grass. It was awful work, and one's
heart seemed to melt within one.

The fight lasted till about 12 o'clock midday.
The banana cutting went on ahead and a huge
garden was levelled to the ground. Fletcher took
Pilkington's place in this work. At midday, the
force came back to the fort. The Nubians had
fought with more determination than ever before.
They made repeated charges down upon our men
and poured in volleys of shot. Still, our total loss
was comparativel}' small. I suppose, all counted,
Waganda and all, not more than 30 killed and
wounded. The Nubians, we think, lost far more
than that. We are hoping that they have got
through their cartridges, and that they will not
again be able to fight with such cruel results. But
it is a bad business, and there must be a good deal
of fighting yet before all is over."

"December 12th.

Last night another attack was made by the
Nubians upon our lower fort, but with little success
— not more than two wounded on our side.

We buried Macdonald and Pilkington last even-
ing under a tree outside of this fort. I read the
English burial service, and all the Europeans, with
the Sikhs, attended. A most solemn time."

CHAPTER XIX.

A LAST WORD.

To give expression in any adequate degree to the
sense of the loss sustained by the Church of Christ
and the British nation generally, by the death of
George Pilkington, would occupy more space than
we have at our disposal. The public Press, secular
and religious, Committees of Missionary Societies,
and individuals of all ranks and opinions, have
joined with one voice in lamenting the sudden
cutting off of a life characterised by such singular
gifts and graces.

But most touching of all are the messages that
have been received from the people of Uganda, from
his fellow-missionaries, and from Government
officials who knew him in the field.

First of all we may give, as representing the
feelings of the Christians of Uganda, the letter of
the Rev. Henry Wright Du^-a, Pilkington's chief
assistant in the translation of the Bible. He writes
to the Rev. E. Millar as follows : —

" Uganda,

December r4th, 1897.

My Dear Millar, —

How are you, my friend ? I tell you
about the sorrow which has just come to us about

339

340 PILKINGTON OF UGANDA.

our brother, Mr. Pilkington, whom we love very
much. He was killed in the Sudanese war in
Usoga on December nth.

When he saw that the Baganda and the Govern-
ment were going to war with the Sudanese because
they had mutinied — you know what his love for us
is — he went to the war with Dr. Cook, Lloyd, and
Fletcher; and of the Baganda many — no — were
killed, but of all the English not one was killed.
Pilkington was very sorry, and said, * I want very
much to die. I should have liked to have died in
place of those Baganda.' Well, when they fought
for the fourth time they killed him and Lieutenant
Macdonald, but we were all very much distressed at
the death of Pilkington. We all shed tears; we
cried our eyes out. Of Pilkington we have only
now the footprints ; but it is difficult to follow in
the footsteps when the leader is not there. Pilking-
ton has died, but his work has not died ; it is still
with us. He preached to all men the Gospel —
Protestants, Roman Catholics, and Mohammedans,
all lamented him when he died, because he was
beloved by all. He always welcomed both the wise
and the foolish. All black people were his friends.

We sorrow very much, beyond our strength ;
we do not see among the missionaries whom we
have anyone who can fill his place and take on his
work. I worked very hard at teaching him
Luganda ; he learnt it very well, and was able to
speak Luganda like a native, and could translate
any book into Luganda without my help, and I was
not afraid of him making any mistakes.

A LAST WORD. 341

You sec this is what makes all of us Baganda so
sad. Where is another Englishman to give himself
as he did to this work of translating our books ?

Therefore, I want you, if you are still in
England, and have not yet left, to go to the Com-
mittee of the Church Missionary Society and tell
them how our brother Pilkington has been killed ;
tell them the Baganda sorrow very much for
Pilkington — that if we could write their language
(English) we would have written to them in tears,
and our tears would have fallen upon the letter as
we begged them to seek for a man of Pilkington's
ability, and to beg him to come here and take on
Pilkington's work.

His body will be disinterred from Usoga, and
buried here in Uganda, near our church, that we
may always remember him. If we had known
how to carve his likeness on stone we would have
done it ; but the sight of his tomb will suffice us.

My friend Millar, I entreat you, do not fail to
send my message to the leaders of the C.M.S., that
the}^ may send us someone to succeed Pilkington ;
and you yourself, do you beseech with tears those
Christians, who have hearts filled with the love of
Jesus Christ, to come and pity us and help us.

It would be an excellent thing to circulate this
letter among all the English. I know their love
for us. They will hear us. I trust so.

H. W. D. KiLAKULE."

" Someone to succeed Pilkington," that is the
plea of the Church in Uganda, and shall they

342 PILKINGTON OF UGANDA.

plead in vain ? To our readers we leave the
answer to this question.

By his colleagues his loss is very keenly felt, as
the following extracts from letters by Archdeacon
Walker and the Rev. G. K. Baskerville, clearly show.

Archdeacon Walker, in a private letter from Ugan-
da, dated December 21st, 1897, writes as follows: —

" By telegram you will have heard of the sad loss
this Mission has sustained in the death of Mr.
Pilkington. We have lost not only a friend, but
one who was completely devoted to the work here.
Pilkington was always ready to give advice, and to
hear patiently any matter that concerned the good of
these people. He was a man of very great intellectual
ability, and had gained a very complete knowledge
of the native language. We had hoped that he
would have prepared many useful books for these
people. A commentary, and histories, as well as a
grammar and dictionary, were all in contemplation,
and partly begun. We always looked to Pilkington
for advice in any forward movement. He was so
fair in all his judgments, and so much respected and
beloved by all the people, that his influence was
very largely felt. We always felt that Pilkington
was so much in sympathy with the natives that he
could do almost anything he liked with them. But
now he has been taken from us, and we are deprived
of all the help and comfort his presence gave us. I
trust the native Christians, and especially the
ordained men, will exert themselves, and so supply
in some measure what we have lost,"

Mr. Baskerville, who was Pilkington's companion

A LAST WORD. 343

on so many occasions, and especially in his journeys
to and from Africa, writes : —

" My heart bleeds about dear Pilkington. I can-
not see how the gap will be filled in the work.
Clear head, sound judgment, grasp of native
language, customs, &c. ; universally respected by all
creeds, a born leader. I feel as if I ought to write
an ' In Memoriam,' but what can I say? "

From the Administration comes the following
remarkable tribute.

" Kampala,

December 13th, 1897.

Sir, —

I have been asked by Mr. Jackson and the
whole of the staff of this Administration to give
expression to the deep and heart-felt sympathy,
which they feel with the members of the Church
Missionary Society in the loss they have sustained
by the death of our friend, Mr. Pilkington.

We join with you all the more deeply, in that
we feel that the misfortune is one that falls upon all
Uganda, and I am sure that no higher tribute could
be paid, nor one which Mr. Pilkington would have
esteemed greater, than the sorrow which is expressed
by the native population of the country for which
he has worked so hard, and for the honour of which,
I believe we can say in all sincerity, he has given up
his life.

I am. Sir,
Your most obedient, humble servant,

George Wilson.
The Venerable Archdeacon Walker,

Namirembe,"

344 PILKINGTON OF UGANDA.

Captain Villiers, of the Royal Horse Guards,
who had known Pilkington in Uganda, bears the
following testimony to his work : — " It is owing to
the attachment of the Protestant Waganda to men
like Mr. Pilkington, that we have been able to hold
Uganda so easily up to the present time. In Mr.
Pilkington's death the cause of civilization in
Africa has received a severe blow, and England has
lost a most devoted servant."

One more quotation may be given, and that is
from the letter of Bishop Hanlon, the English
Roman Catholic Bishop in Uganda, who writes to
Archdeacon Walker : — " We do heartily condole
with you in the deep affliction that has befallen you
by the death of a dear friend and fellow-labourer of
such ability. I can to some extent realize, dear
Archdeacon, what the death of a member of Mr.
Pilkington's worth must mean to your mission, and
that he has left a void it will be difficult to fill."

From later information we learn that the wish of
the people was carried out, and " on Friday,
March i8th, Mr. Pilkington's body, which had been
brought from Busoga, was buried with military
honours at Mengo. The Acting Administrator and
Major Macdonald and most of the officials and a
large crowd of natives were present. The coffin
was covered with a Union Jack, and a party of
Swahilis and Punjabis fired a volley over the grave.
The Rev. Henry Wright Duta and the Rev. G. K.
Baskerville conducted the service. A grave had been
dug in line with those of the other Europeans who
had been buried on what is called the ' Church Hill.' '*

A LAST WORD. 343

Of the s'.ate of affairs in Uganda after Pilkington's
death, it is sufficient to say that, after considerable
trouble in dealing both with detachments of the
mutineers and also with Mwanga and his con-
federates, the peace of the country seems to have
been once more secured. Missionary work has
been re-opened in many places where temporarily
it had been closed, including Luba's in Busoga, and
it is hoped that the future may see a great
development from Uganda as a centre for all the
surrounding countries.

And now we have told our story, and we may
close most fitly by giving Pilkington's concluding
message from the little pamphlet, " The Gospel in
Uganda," and which is entitled, " A Last Word."

"We have stood together now in fancy on
Namirembe's far-viewing summit ; we have looked
across Unyoro's plains into the far Nile valley and
the vast Sudan ; we have gazed in imagination
across the Albert on into the Great Forest, and
wondered when that strange pigmy race will learn
that they, too, are objects of the Eternal Love.
We have looked across many a mile into wild
Kavirondo ; we have pictured the great Lake the
centre of a united, active Church, sending its
evangelists east and west, north and south, to many
nations and many tongues.

But now comes the question : Is all to end here ?

Oh, let us be real ! Emotion is no substitute for
action. You love Africa, do you ? * God so loved
that He gave — '

God gave — what ? Superfluities ? Leavings ? That
which cost Him nothing ?
A3

316 PILKINGTON OF UGANDA.

* When ye shall have done all, say, We are
unprofitable servants ; we have done that which was
our duty to do.'

If we are doing less than all, we are robbing God.

What is the present position ?

(i.) The Son of God sitting on the right hand of
His Father, all power in heaven and earth His,
having received the gift of the Holy Ghost to pour
on each yielded, believing soul.

(ii.) The world wide open almost everywhere,

(iii.) Two-thirds, at least, of the human race
having never heard the message of forgiveness which
is for all.

(iv.) Mohammedanism and Heathenism and In-
fidelity increasing more rapidly than Christianity!

(v.) Christians (so we call ourselves) satisfied 1 Is
God satisfied ?

We salve our consciences by doing a little, and
refuse to recognize the fact that the work for which
the Lord died is not being done.

A house is being built : the workman, paid by the
day, does not care if for each brick he lays two
others fall down : he gets his pay.

But is the Master satisfied ?

Let us confess that hitherto we have only been
playing at Missions. God has given us much more
than our miserable efforts have deserved.

Let us begin in a new way.

New prayer ; new giving ; new going.

The World for Christ, Christ for the World, in
this generation I '*

INDEX.

Accompanying Troops, Reasons
for, 217, 323, 329.

Acland, Sir Henry, 250.

Aloni, 336 337.

Anonya Alaba, 246, 270.

Ashe, Rev. R. P., 132, 139;
Translations, 146, 265.

Baganda, 1 14, 224, 295 ; Thirst
for knowledge, 121-3, 136-8,
1 5 1) 199 ; Political parties,
121, 168 ; Evangelistic work,
145-7, 275-280; Baptisms,
284 ; Ordinations, &c., 209 ;
Spiritual revival, 222 - 239 ;
Teachers, 231, 236, 273-4;
Native church, 272-286, 314.

Baptisms, 284.

Baiter, Articles of, 76-7, 126,
148.

Isaskerville, Rev. G. K., 63 ;
Ordination, in ; Furlough,
240; Letters from, 160, 225-
230, 342.

Bassett, Mr., 4.

Bayima, 228.

Bedford, 51.

Bexhill, 262.

Bible Translation, 264-271.

Bicycle Journey, 302-310.

Binns, Rev. H. K., 65.

Books, 137. 164-8, 193, 199,200.

lioutflower, Rev. Cecil, 40.

British East Africa Company,
158, 170, 209.

Broadrick, Mrs., 15.

Budu, 317.

Buganda, 114-5 ; Revolutions,
90, 141, 161, 316; C. M.S.
work, 113, 157, 236; The
king, 119, 180-2, 316, 318,
324; Country, 120; Roman
Catholics, 142, 160-184;
Provinces, 147, 152 ; Civil
war, 161 -184; British Pro-
tectorate, 209 ; Mutinies, 210-
220, 320-338 ; Native church,
272 - 286 ; Missionary meet-
ings, 275-280 ; Future pros-
pects, 287-301 ; New king,
.318.

Bugaya, 281.

Bukasa, 282.

Bushel!. Rev. W. D., 48, 64, 248.

Busi, 279.

Busoga, 145-6, 201, 322-338.

Buvuma Islands, 281.

Cambridge, 20-40, 252.

Cathedral, 168, 201, 273.

Chadwick, Miss, 309, 316.

Chagga, 75.

Children's Special Service
Mission, 23, 47, 132.

China Inland Mission, 43, 52.

C/vis/ia7i, 77ie, 140.

Church Collections, 278-9.

Church Missionary Society :
Boat, 103-4, 108-111, 1 16-7 ;
Committee, 60-1, 205 ; Meet-
ings, 61-64, 159, 248-9.
Missionaries, 61-63, 65, T^,
89, 91, 113,217; Policy, 52-4,
289-294,315; Secretaries, 58,

INDEX.

65 ; Stations, i^i^ 75, 89, 91,

103, 115, 120, 293.
Civil War, 1 60-1 84.
Classics, xii, xiii, 4, 20, 21, 35,

38, 41, 42, 50, 195-7, 252.
Clifton College, 44
Climate, 115, 145, 150.
Clothing, 140, 187.
Cole, Rev. H., 92.
Cook, Dr. A. R., 320-9, 331.
Cooking, 131, 311.
Cotter, J. D. M., 63, 78.
Crabtree, Rev. W. A., 266.
Crawfurd, Mr., 66.
Daudi Chua, 318.
Deacons, 209.
Deekes, D., 107, no.
Dermott, Rev. J. V., 84,94, 107.
De Winton, Mr., 139, 191.
Donkeys, 84, 86, 95.
Douglas, Rev. Sholto, 30.
Dover College, 47.
Dowse, Dean, 35, 313.
Drury, Rev. T. W., 270.
Dublin, 4.
Dunn, Mr., iii.
Duta, Henry Wright, 128, 130,

143, 163, 339-

Du Wallah, 174.

East Africa : Description of
Country, 70, T^,, 89, 91, 94,
115, 120; Fauna and Flora,
70-4, 140, 190; Native races,
95, 114, 228, 319; Religions,
219, 299 ; British East Africa
Company, 158, 170,209 (See
also " Buganda.")

Elwin, Rev. E. H., 47.

Emin Pasha, 82, 103, 149.

Fauna and Flora, 70-74, 140,
190.

Fever, 72, 78, 146.

Fisher, A. B., 231.

Food, 69, 86, 95, 102, 105, 112,
186.

Football, 320.

Frere Town, 64.

Gleaners' Union Meetings, 159,

248.
Gordon, Rev. E. Cyril, 118, 124,

265.
Gordon, General, 288.
Hanlon, Bishop, 344.
Hannington, Bishop, 66, 328.
Harrow, 48, 109.
Heathenism, 219, 299.
Heywood, Rev. R. S., 63.
Hill, Mr., 78, 83.
Holy Spirit, 222-9, 235, 258,

261.
Hooper, Rev. Douglas, 23, 51,

81, 84, III.
Hunt, Mr., 109.
Hyslop, Mr., 39, 48, 261.
Inskip, Rev. T. J., 44.
Interpretation, 207, 212, 324,

330-
Islands, 205, 232, 381-4.
Itinerary, 304-8.
Jackson, Mr., 321, 332.
Jaeger Boots. 40, 106, 187.
Jungo, 237.

Kampala, 176-8, 191, 210.
Kamswaga, King of Koki, 141,

276.
Kanta, 175-8.

Kasagama, King of Toro, 277.
Katikiro, 133, 174, 214, 227.
Keswick, 261.
Kiganda (Swahili), 114. (See

Luganda.)
Kilimanjaro, 73.
Kimbugwe, 152, 172.
Kimegi, 89.
King, G. A., 303, 313.
Kisokwe, 90.
Klein, Arthur, 25.
Koki, 141, 276, 317.
Konie, Island of, 222, 225, 281.
Kuilwe, 185, 189.
Kyagwe, 278, 28a.
Lang, Rev. R., 191.
Languages — see Philology.
Leakey, R. H., 228, 316.

INDBK.

!ii

Literature, Importance of, 167,
200, 206.

Livingstone, David, 288.

Lloyd, A. B., 330, 335.

Lubale, 219.

Luba's, 321-338.

Luganda, 1 14 ; Language study,
106-7, 123, 192-208, 258 ;
Translations, 123, 128- 131,
144, 192-208, 264-271; General
suggestions, 192 ; Grammar,
125, 134; Dictionary, 197 ;
Specimens of roots, 199 ;
Phonetics, 245, 257 ; Native
proverbs, 259 ; Intonation,

319-
Lugard, Captain, 114, 121, 157,

170-5.
Lusoga, 198.
Luyima, 198, 205, 319.
Macdonald, Captain (now

Major), 21 1 -218, 232, 320-335.
McDonnell, Sir Alexander, 2.
McDonnell, Dr. Robert, 3.
Mackay, A. M., 72, 114, 265.
Mackay, Sembera — see " Sem-

bera."
Mamboia, 86, 89.
Mengo, 115, 152 ; Plan of, 177 ;

Cathedral, 168, 201, 273 ;

Native congregations, 201,

207, 273 ; mutiny, 323.
Methods of work, 255.
Mgunda Mkali, 102.
Milk, 105, 185.
Millar, Rev. E., 227, 339.
Missionary Meetings, 61, 249,

275.
Mohammedans, 122, 21 1-2 16,

234, 324-
Molony, Rev. H. J., 24, 34.
Mpwapwa, 91.
Muganda, 114, 295.
Mundara, King of Chagga, 75.
Musa Yakuganda, 226-7.
Mutesa, 167.
Mutinies, 210-220, 320-338.

Mwanga, 119, 160, 166-7, 180-2;
Flight, 316; Taken prisoner,
318, 324.

Namirembe, 141, 273.

Nassa, 205.

Nathaniel, 276.

Native Agency, 234, 248, 289,
294-7.

Native Church, 272-286. 314-5.

Native Proverbs, 247-8, 259, 260.

Native Tribes, 95, 228, 319 ; see
also Baganda, Wagogo.

Neil, R. A., 41.

Nikodemo — see Sekibobo.

Nile, River, 115.

Noah, 144, 277.

Northern Route, 240.

Nsazi, 281.

Ordinations, 79, in, 209.

Oxford, 249.

Parker, Bishop, 114.

Pembroke College, Cambridge,
20-40, 53. See also Dr. Searle.

Perry, Mr., 14, 17, 19.

Persecution, 298.

Philology : Methods of Study,
84, 107, 192, 258-9; General
suggestions, 192; Roots,
197-9 ; Allied languages, 106,
197, 205, 245 ; Phonetics, 245,
257 ; Dialects, 197, 319 ; In-
tonation, 319. See also Lu-
ganda, Kimegi, Lusoga, Lu-
yima, Swahili.

PiLKiNGTON, George Law-
rence : Birth, i ; Parents, i ;
Boyhood, 3 ; Uppingham,
xi.-xvi., 8 : Scholarships and
prizes, 12, 14, 18, 20, 43 ;
Tutorship, 15 ; Athletics, 16,
320; Confii'mation, 19; Cam-
bridge, 20 ; C.S.S.M., 23, 47 ;
Conversion, 26 ; Christian
work, 28, 34 ; Gospel Mis-
sions, 34, 36-8, 43-4; Classical
tripos, 38 ; Testimonials, 41-2,
50; Missionary call, 41;

IV

INDEX.

China Inland Mission, 43, 52 ;
Harrow, 48; Bedford, 51 ; Ac-
cepted by C.M.S., 61 ;
Arrival in Africa, 64 ; Visit to
Kilimanjaro, 65; Fever, 72, 78,
146; Travels, 80-112, 240-3,
302-310; Arrival in Uganda,
117 ; Early impressions, 120;
Language work, 123, 128, 134,
144, 146, 192-208, 245, 264-
271 ; Appeals, 150, 155, 291.
345-6 ; Love for natives, 183,
340 ; Spiritual revival, 222-
239 ; Accompanying troops,
229-232, 320-334 ; Annual
letter, 236 ; Furlough, 240 ;
Protestantism, 246, 270-1 ;
Bible translation, 264-271 ;
Bicycle journey, 302-310 ; En-
gagement, 314 ; Death, 335-
338 ; Burial, 338, 344.

Pokino, 141, 178-9.

Political Parties, 121, 168.

Portal, Sir Gerald, 209.

Portal, Captain, 216.

Prior, Rev. C. H., 40.

Protestants, 121, 160-184, 218,
318.

Rabai, 67.

Railway, 240, 243.

Rawnsley, Mr. 12.

Reading, 121, 143, 206, 227.

Religions, 219, 299.

Revival, 222-239.

Rochester, Bishop of, 252.

Roman Catholics, 121, 142, 151,
160-184, 233, 246, 270-1.

Roots of Language, 197-9.

Roscoe, Rev. J., 217, 227.

Routes — Northern, 240-3, 302-
310 ; Southern, 80-112.

Rowling, Rev. F., 311.

Rubaga, 179.

Rutako, Pass of, 91.

Saadani, 82.

Searle, Rev. Dr., 59, 60, 252.

Sekibobo, 218-9.

Self-support, 314-5.
Selim Bey, 157-8, 210-220.
Sembera Mackay, 143, 161, 179,

183.
Sese Islands, in, 130, 278,

282-4.
Siegel, Lieut., 96-100.
Singo, 231.

Skrine, Rev. J. H., xi-xvi, 13, 19.
Slavery, 76, 299.
Smith, Rev. F. C, 106, 146, 201.
Stanley, H. M., 113.
Stock, Eugene, 150.
Stokes, Mr., 82, 98, 106.
Student Volunteer .Missionary

Union, 253-8.
Sudanese, 157, 210-220, 320-

338. . .
Superstition, 76, 189, 219, 220,

278, 299.
Swahili, 197, 203, 264.
Sweet's ' Primer of Phonetics,'

245> 257, 319-

Taita, 73, 76.

Taveta, 74-5.

Taylor, Miss B., 314, 335.

Taylor, Rev. W. E., 243.

Teaching, 164, 273.

Thornton, Douglas M., 262.

Three Years' Enterprise, 289-
294.

Thring, Rev. Edward, 11, 14,
40.

Thruston, Major, 322, 326.

Tore, I, 36, 38.

Toro, 277.

Translations, 123, 128- 131, 144,
192-208, 264-271.

Travelling, 87,93, 186, 240, 294-
295, 302-310.

Tucker, Bishop, 82, 137; Letters
from, 92, 117, 123, 206-8, 209.

Uganda — see under Baganda,
Buganda, Luganda ; also
under Climate, Political par-
ties. Religions, &c.

Ugogo, 94.

INDEX.

Universities' Camps, 262.

Unyanguira, 92, 96.

Unyoro, 236.

Uppingham, xi-xvi, 8-19.

Usambiro, 103, 107.

Usoga — see Busoga.

Usongo, 102, 106.

Victoria Nyanza, 114, 281 ; see

also under " Islands."
Villiers, Captain, 230, 344.
Waganda (Swahin), 114; see

under " Baganda."
Wagugo, 95-101.
Walker, Yen. Archdeacon, 118,

329, 342.
Wambuzi, 273-4.

Water Supply, I4S-
Weatherhead, Rev. H. W., 311,

325-
Webb-Peploe, Rev. H. Murray,

27, 46.

Welldon, Rev. J. E. C, 50.

Wigram, Rev. F. E., 54, 58, 167.

Williams, Captain, 146, 160,
170, 181.

Wilson, Mr. George, 323, 343.

Wilson, Mr (Government cap-
tain), 322, 326, 328.

Wilson, Mr. (C.M.S.), 323, 325.

Wolfendale, Dr., 99.

Wood, Rev. A. N., 89.

Zulu, 197.

Selections frofii

Fleming H. Revell Company's

Missionary Lists

New York: i'S Fifth Avenue
Chicago : 63 Washington Street
Toruato : 154 Yonge Street

AMISSIONS. .AFRICA.

The Personal Life of David Livingstone.

Chiefly from his unpublished journals and correspondence
in the possession of his family. By W. Garden Blaikie,
D.D., LL.D. With Portrait and Map. New, cheap edi-
tion. 508 pages, 8vo, cloth, $1.50.
"There is throughout the narrative that glow of interest which

is realized while events are comparatively recent, virith that also

which is still fresh and tender." — The Standard.

David Livingstone.

His Labors and His Legacy. By A. Montefiore, F.R.G.S.
Missionary Biography Series. Illustrated. 160 pages,
i2mo, cloth, 75c.

David Livingstone.

By Mrs. J. H. Worcester, Jr., Missionary Annals Series.
i2mo, paper, net, isc. ; flexible cloth, net, 30c.

Reality vs. Romance in South Central
Africa.

Being an Account of a Journey across the Atrican Conti-
nent, from Benguella on the West Coast to the mouth of
the Zambesi. By James Johnston, M.D, With 51 full-
page photogravure reproductions of photographs by the
author, and a map. Royal 8vo, cloth, boxed, $4.00.

The Story of Uganda

And of the Victoria Nyanza Mission. By S. G. Stock.
Illustrated. i2mo, cloth, $1.25.

"To be commended as a good, brief, general survey of the
Protestant missionary work in \Jga.nd3^."— The Literary World.

Robert Moffat,

The Missionary Hero of Kuruman. By David J. Deane.
Missionary Biography Series. Illustrated. 2^ththou$and.
i2mo, cloth, 75c.

Robert Moffat.

By M. L. Wilder. Missionary Annals Series. i2mo,
paper, net, 15c.; flexible cloth, net, 30c.

The Congo for Christ.

The Story of the Congo Mission. By Rev. John B. Myers.
Missionary Biography Series. Illustrated. Tenth thousand,
i2mo, cloth, 75c.

On the Congo.

Edited from Notes and Conversations of Missionaries, by
Mrs. H. Grattan Guinness. i2mo, paper, 50c.

IMISSIONS, AFRICA.

Samuel Crowther, the Slave Boy

Who became Bishop of the Niger. By Jesse Page. Mis-
sionary Biography Series. Illustrated. Eighteenth thous-
and. i2mo, cloth, 7SC.
" We cannot conceive of anything better calculated to inspire

in the hearts of young people an enthusiasm for the cause." — T/te

Christian.

Thomas Birch Freeman.

Missionary Pioneer to Ashanti, Dahomey and Egba. By
John MiLUM, F.R.G.S. Missionary Biography Series. Illus-
trated. i2mo, cloth, 75c.

" Well written and well worth reading." — The Faithful Wit-
ness.

Seven Years in Sierra Leone.

The Story of the Missionary Work of Wm. A. B. Johnson.
By Rev. Arthur T. Pierson, D.D. i6mo, cloth, $1.00.

Johnson was a missionary of the Church Missionary Society in
Regent's Town, Sierra Leone, Africa, from 1816 to 1823.

Among the Matabele.

By Rev. D. Carnegie, for ten years resident at Hope Foun-
tain, twelve miles from Bulawayo. With portraits, maps
and other illustrations. Second edition. 1 2mo, cloth, 6oc.

Peril and Adventure in Central Africa.

Illustrated Letter to the Youngsters at Home. By Bishop
Hammington. Illustrated. i2mo, cloth, 50c.

Madagascar of To-Day.

A Sketch of the Island. With Chapters on its History ano
Prospects. By Rev. W. E. Cousins, Missionary of the
Vjondon Missionary Society since 1862. Map and Illus-
trations. i2mo, cloth, $1.00.

Madagascar.

Its Missionaries and Martyrs. By Rev. W. J. Townsend,
D. D. Missionary Biography Series. Illustrated. Tenth
thousand. i2mo, cloth, 7SC.

Madagascar.

By Belle McPherson Campbell. Missionary Annals Series.
i2mo, paper, net, 15c.; flexible cloth, net, 30c.

Madagascar.

Country, People, Missions. By Rev. James Sibree,
F.R.G.S. Outline Missionary Series. i6mo, paper, 20c

MISSIONS. CHINA.

Chinese Characteristics.

By Rev. Arthur H. Smith, D.D., for 25 years a Missionary
in China. With 16 full-page original Illustrations, and
index. Sixth thousand. 'Popular edition. 8vOj cloth,
$1.25.
"The best book on the Chinese people." — T/ie Examificr.

A Cycle of Cathay;

Or, China, South and North. With personal reminiscen-
ces. By W. A. P. Martin, D.D., LL.D., President
Emeritus of the Imperial Tungwen College, Peking.
With 70 Illustrations from photographs and native draw-
ings, a Map and an index. Second edition. 8vo, cloth
decorated, $2.00.
" No student of Eastern affairs can afford to neglect this work,

which will take its place with Dr. William's ' Middle Kingdom,' as

an authoritative work on China." — The Outlook.

Glances at China.

By Rev. Gilbert Reid, M.A., Founder of the Mission to
the Higher Classes. Illustrated. 12 mo, cloth, 80c,

Pictures of Southern China.

By Rev. James MacGowan. With 80 Illustrations. 8v0j
cloth, $4.20.

A Winter in North China.

By Rev. T. M. Morris. With an Introduction by Rev.
Richard Glover, D.D., and a Map. i2mo, cloth, $1.50.

John Livingston Nevius,

For Forty Years a Missionary in Shantung. By his wife,
Helen S. C. Nevius. With an Introduction by the Rev.
W. A. P. Martin, D.D. Illustrated. 8vo, cloth, $2.00.

The Sister Martyrs of Ku Cheng.

Letters and a Memoir of Eleanor and Elizabeth Saunders,
Massacred August 1st, 1895, Illustrated. i2mo, cloth,
$1.50.

China.

By Rev. J. T. Gracey, D.D. Seventh edition, revised.
i6mo, paper, 15c.

Protestant Missions in China.

By D. WiLLARD Lyon, a Secretary of the Student Volun-
teer Movement. i6mo, paper, 15c.

Date Due

MR 2

/

APR3 '62

F

(|)

Il'!ltiil!ll

on Theological Semmary-Speer Libr^

1 1012 01041 1652